Imperial Fire 2: Evening Star
by Buddhacide
Summary: Evening Star is the sequel to Imperial Fire, continuing the legend of Claymore and Dynasty Warriors 6. The bloodiest stage in the war begins as Isley prepares to Awaken the mighty Lu Bu. The fall of the evening star rarely heralds a tender dawn.
1. Glimmering Splinters of Reunion

**Glimmering Splinters of Reunion**

_What is this soft cape that brushes playfully at my hand?_

_I reach for it tentatively, nervously. But my hand is weak. I can barely move it, because yet another is stroking it, urging me into calmness, urging me to cease my pointless and fruitless struggle to play with the flowing, pearl-white cloth._

_Does this hand, pressing down on my knuckles, belong to the same owner as that lovely silk? _

_My name is Flora._

_I am… a warrior that fights against Awakened Beings and for the Chinese people. I witnessed the death of the King of Shu, Liu Bei, at Wu Zhang Plains, slain by the Queen of Wei, Galatea, my comrade turned enemy… turned comrade once again. But… she had no opportunity to exult in her victory, or I in my grief. We were… attacked. They came upon us like wild dogs, hungry for easy prey. I put my hurt and my bereavement behind me to help my comrades topple the sadistic monsters that had brought so much terror and ruin to the Middle Kingdom._

_I failed. _

_I should have died. I should have breathed my last on the plains of Wu Zhang… along with Lord Liu Bei. Along with Lord Zhuge Liang. _

_I should have died along with my darling Zilong._

_Why? Why must he leave me now, while I remain in this hateful world?_

_But my eyes are already opening. I cannot keep them closed for all eternity, much to my dismay._

_There is no rest for a silver-eyed wretch like me… is there?_

*

She had awoken from unconsciousness many times in her violent life, but this time was different. The light did not blind, nor did her ears buzz irritatingly. But her head still throbbed with the weight of Durandal itself. She groaned quietly, her body as stiff as a log. Above her were tinkling chimes and gentle, swishing curtains to her peripherals. She raised her hand to rub her eyes– strange. The muscles in her triceps and biceps were not longer seared with agony, and she could flex and stretch with relative ease. What had happened? Why could she move at all? Surely, with her spine snapped in half…

Then, she heard the voice. "You don't need to worry about your broken back, angel."

She rubbed her forehead and squinted up to her right. That garbled voice… was her head still reeling from the events of her last struggle? But the masculine resonance came from that white-caped figure sitting by her bedside, staring down at her. The voice echoed through her head again as she shook away her grogginess. "Our healers have mended your shattered bone and closed up your split flesh. Your Yoma powers were quite impressive in completing your recuperation, too."

She nodded weakly. "I… I thank you, kind stranger. But… where am I?"

"I am no stranger, lady."

Her blood froze as the man spoke again. Suddenly, his arrogant voice was no longer indistinct.

At last, her vision cleared. Her eyes widened in horror at the figure's slick black hair, and his raised royal collar and mantle. His cold eyes, penetrating into her like a shard of frost, or a stalactite of ice. Those sinister eyes had looked upon her with a tortured mixture of sadistic desire and grudging respect at Tianshui.

_It cannot be_.

"Cao Pi?" she gasped. "Where… where am I? Why are you with me – "

Her nemesis – the rival she had fundamentally, ontologically positioned herself against – smirked. He reached for her with a slim but strong hand, and she pulled away desperately, covering her brassiere and breasts with her slender arm. She cried out in agitated humiliation – save her lingerie, she was completely exposed, completely undressed. But her condition did not warrant jerky, quick movements. He gripped her wrist, pressing against her fragile body. She struggled briefly, staring into his vampiric irises. "Please, release me at once. I… I…" she sputtered, glancing down at her bare body. "Was it you… who took off my clothes? What have you done to me?"

He turned up his nose. "How ungrateful. Did you expect to sleep for four weeks in those torn, bloodstained clothes of yours? Commonsense dictated that my attendants bathe you before anything else. And those wounds of yours…"

"What are you talking about?"

He drew closer, and she involuntarily whimpered. His breath, surprisingly fragrant with the scent of Chinese flowers, tickled her face.

"It was I who saved you from the thick fingers of that beastly centaur."

_Isley_?!

His revelation came upon her like bolt of lightning in the dark eve. "You… you could not have been at Wu Zhang!" stuttered Flora. She gasped, clutching her chest. She had almost forgotten, and she almost wished she could. "I did not see you anywhere!"

_Zilong_… "I… I thought I was doomed…"

"A contingent of our forces was sent as reserve reinforcements to Wu Zhang, in the event Galatea – I mean, Stepmother – was defeated. We arrived almost immediately after hearing of the sudden ambush by Isley's minions at Wu Zhang Fort. I had help, of course," said the Prince nonchalantly. "Xu Huang and I led to Wu Zhang a division of our Kingdom's silver-eyed warriors: Rafaela, Alicia, Beth, and Miata. It was they who provided invaluable assistance in holding back Isley's monstrosities whilst my wardens whisked you away from the battlefield. Alicia was most impressive, but still we suffered heavy losses. It seemed the Awakened Beings were determined to triumph against us regardless of our superior numbers. We barely managed to keep our lives…" he grimaced. "Although Rafaela, Xiahou He and Xiahou Hui were not quite so fortunate."

"You… you came to reinforce us?" she whispered.

"We thought we might have been too late."

"You _were_ too late, Crown Prince!" shrieked Flora suddenly. Before she could blink, her open hand had found his right cheek, and her clenched fists were instantly upon his body, beating down on his torso as she wailed her grief and fury. "You came too late! You could not save anyone! You wanted us to suffer… did you not? You came too late and let our comrades perish there… without hope… without even a shred of dignity…"

Despite having suffered a stinging slap, he did not seem surprised in the least at her hysterical outburst, which infuriated her all the more. She continued to attack him, hurling her wild fists against his breast as he caught her trembling body in his arms. Ignoring her screaming, his eyes glinted as his fingers found her soft, pale skin. He barely noticed the weak hammering she meted out on him… no, who would pay attention to her emotional turmoil when one could caress her body like so?

"You hopeless woman. Do not channel your guilt, your self-loathing against me. I did my part. But you did not."

"You – you – "

"If you are so ashamed of your inability to protect your compatriots, then surrender to me. Then, I can comfort you. And I can avenge you."

Flora gasped indignantly at his shamelessly frank overtures. She felt tears pouring from her wide eyes, her grief and confusion completely disregarded, unwanted, tossed aside by his lust. She stared fearfully at him as he clutched her waist and her back. He pulled at her long wavy hair, baring his teeth eagerly like those of a hungry, famished wolf. He smirked at her defenceless countenance as he lowered himself to her exposed neck. "Cao Pi – what do you think you're doing?" she moaned, twisting and flailing weakly. But his lean hands were merciless. His hot breath spread across her ample bosom like a burning cloud.

"Ever since our battle at Tianshui, I've always wondered… how good you taste," he hissed. "I would like to know... just what the heroic Zhao Yun thought of the Continent's flavours."

"You… you… despicable _scum_," she blurted. Her hands were no longer clenched but focused wholly on resisting him – somewhat unsuccessfully, partly due to her physical condition. In her indignation, she would have hurled him across the room had she enjoyed full strength. He noticed her open arms pressing against his chest and caught himself, looking at her more sombrely. "It is not my error that you and your headstrong dragon suffered from laughably glaring weaknesses."

"Don't you dare speak of Lord Zhao Yun like that."

"I speak the truth. You thought you could challenge _us_ and walk away unscathed? Nevermind the Awakened Beings… Zhao Yun's senseless desire to please you, to protect you, proved to be his undoing. And your inability to look beyond that thrust you into a battle you could not win." He smirked. "Now see where that's landed you."

"Give him… back to me. I demand that you give him back to me." How she burned to hear her lover murmur his devotion against her ear again! But the hero of Shu had fallen, and didn't even leave behind a body to weep over. The agony of the little dragon's absence crushed her fighting spirit once again, and she sobbed wildly into Cao Pi's arms for a second time, unable to dam the outpour of passion and turbulence within her. "Return my baby dragon to me."

His answer was of little comfort. "Accept it, silver-eyed woman. He is gone. Even a dragon is not omnipotent." To her surprise, the Prince began to cradle her tenderly, as she slackened slightly, his eyes softening for just one moment.

Just one.

Then, he spoke again, this time calling out to someone else. "Father. She is awake, but from her raucous squealing, you probably already know."

She breathed sharply, her eyes widening. _Father_?

_Then he can mean no one except_…

She followed Cao Pi's gaze to the dark figure that stood beyond her bed, his back turned to her. She stared in dismay and horror as he shifted around, his dark, phoenix-patterned cape swishing behind him.

Her gaze met the shrewd ones eyes of a hard-hearted, erudite demon from the Mahapadma Hell. "Welcome to Luoyang," he sneered, walking over. "I believe we first met at Hanzhong. I trust you've largely recovered?"

_Cao Cao_.

"What do you want with me, tyrant?" she cried, her hands clutching the bedsheets tighter. "I will defeat both of you here and now, and bring an end to the imperialist Kingdom that has inflicted so much grief upon us." She pushed Cao Pi away and glanced around for any weapon she could swipe up, to ward away the two men. But there were naught, unless one could improvise with several more pillows and a ceramic cup of cooling tea.

Cao Cao smiled. "Don't bother, lass. For now, you are no warrior. You are nothing more than a comatose guest who's been asleep for a month. Tell her, son." His eyes glinted. "Update her on the most recent affairs of note."

"Yes, Father." Cao Pi looked at Flora sharply. "You seem to have lost track of the momentous events occurring in our nation since your coma. Allow me to inform you."

He took a short breath.

"_There is no such thing as the Wei Kingdom_."

*

"There is no such thing as the Wei Kingdom."

Impossible. Ludicrous. Lunacy. He was insulting her intelligence, surely. But his face… Flora shook her head, staring with disbelief into his eyes. "I beg your pardon?" she blurted, chastising herself inwardly for resorting to such… typical words.

"Nor is there such thing as Shu. Nor Wu. Yes. China is at long last, one again," smiled Cao Pi. "The land, long divided, must unite. And it happened while you were snoring quietly into your pillow," he added, wrinkling his sharp nose disdainfully.

She momentarily forgot her precarious condition. She almost forgot to blink, wide-eyed as she was, staring at nothing whilst she reeled from the revelation. It felt so surreal. What was happening? Was he telling the truth? And if he was, how did it transpire so quickly when the war between the Three Kingdoms had persisted for three years? "Then where… where are the others? Those who survived?" she asked urgently.

"I suppose you mean those who fought alongside you." Cao Cao smiled. "You were not the only one who survived Wu Zhang Plains."

"Then… Master Zhou Tai… Miss Cynthia… and Lady Huang, too? They are all…"

"Indeed. Lady Yue Ying has yet to rise, but I have gained some measure of satisfaction from the fact that Galatea no longer remains in her coma." He paused for a few seconds. "Surely you are curious to hear of why the Three Kingdoms no longer exist? It is, after all, the ultimate reason for why you have remained here for the past month."

"Do not play games with me, Cao Cao."

"I am not," sneered Cao Pi's father. "See for yourself. The Kingdom of Shu is no more, for it has been overrun by Awakened Beings. Their invasion also penetrated into Jianye, slaying Sun Quan and most of Wu's servants. And as for Wei…" He raised his eyes to the ceiling briefly. "With the destruction of Shu and Wu, I intend to keep my promise. I shall dissolve my own empire. With my authority and the Emperor's seal, I intend to subsume Wei into the Chinese nation."

"Impossible," whispered Flora.

"I will no longer serve as the King of Wei. I shall retain only one position, and that is of Imperial Chancellor. And that, in the face of an impotent Emperor Xian, renders me the de facto ruler of China. With Liu Bei dead and Sun Quan's Kingdom in ashes…" He spread out his arm, and Cao Pi smiled. "There can no longer be any conflict between people of the Han."

"You're veritably admitting that you allowed Isley's forces to raze Chengdu and Jianye," spat Flora. "Why else would you not send your troops to help Shu and Wu? Have you no conscience?!"

"As of now, scouts have reported that our forces lost close to twenty-thousand troops in the Jiangdong region while fending off Rigardo's army," snapped Cao Cao. "Xu Huang is struggling in Hanzhong, barely able to push back Priscilla's rampaging hordes whilst we hold the line to protect Xuchang and Luoyang. Do you not see, Flora? I need fighters of talent to combat these Awakened Beings. Now that China is once more united, I need every available hand that can wield a weapon."

He reached out his hand, enclosed in an ebony glove. "More specifically, I need you."

Flora stared at him, staggered and overwhelmed. "Serve… _you_?"

_This is too much_! It was evident that she had awoken to an entirely new world, a world that was unrecognizable to the one which she had fallen out of communion with only just a month ago. Her slumber of four weeks – was that all it took for humanity to change like this? To have it united under… a man like… _him_?

"I will allow you to mull my words over in your head for a time. But I trust that you still possess the sensibility and commonsense to admit, in your heart, that a complete nation requires a united front. And as there is no Shu to serve…" He grinned; turning on his heel, and slowly strode out of the room, brushing aside the jingling drapes. "You now serve me. You have absolutely no alternative, for I am the Imperial Chancellor, custodian of the Emperor. I _am_ China."

"Cao Cao, this is not over yet!" cried Flora.

"Where are you going, Father?" called Cao Pi.

Cao Cao did not look at his son. "To watch over my tigress," was all he said. He retreated from sight, and the Imperial Chancellor's footsteps receded into the distant hallways, leaving Flora alone in her guestroom with her archenemy.

"Tigress?" stammered Flora, her ire dying down slightly. But she remained as confused as ever. "What is he saying?"

Cao Pi smirked. "Ah, yes. Forgive me for neglecting to inform you sooner, but my stepmother Galatea is the Governess – the Imperial Chancellor's counterpart – who shall be holding authority over you, too."

Flora could not find a fitting retort as she stared up at him again, lost for words.

*

_The scent of victory was strong. _

"_They are dying," observed Rigardo quietly, staring at the fallen forms of Galatea, Cynthia, Flora, Zhou Tai and Yue Ying. He had exerted more strength than he thought necessary – but for now, he was content to bask in the glory of revenge. Even the slight rumbling in the distance did not concern him. He would not relent, not even after having died once. His transformation into a silver-eyed warrior so many centuries ago and his subsequent Awakening were far greater milestones than something as trivial as death. "That one – if that man falls here this day, we cannot fail. There will be no Chinese creature that can match our Awakened strength."_

_Wu Zhang Fortress was no more. The path to the north was open at last._

_Isley nodded his agreement as he looked towards the horizon, from which the faint but discernable sun was rising. The morning dew from midnight was exquisitely fragrant. _

_Dawn was coming._

_Rigardo raised his hand and stalked towards the helpless allied warriors. He raised his hand, closing his eyes momentarily in a perverse form of recognition. "Now… this all ends." _

_The rumbling in the faint distance grew louder and suddenly stopped. "Halt!" shot out a proud, masculine voice. Rigardo glanced up in surprise as his elongating claws were sliced aside by a lightning-quick blade. He whipped around, to where the ruins of the fortress lay. Had one of them recovered? Impossible, their wounds had all been of a lethal nature. They could not have recovered so quickly!_

_Reinforcements? _

"_Who dares interrupt?" snapped Rigardo. His claws elongated as he growled in fury. Victory was nigh. He would not allow some desperate last gasp to stifle the euphoria of ultimate conquest. He glanced at Isley, who was smiling. "My Lord. This is hardly amusing – "_

_Isley pulled Priscilla close and beamed. "And now, the cavalry arrives."_

_He was not inaccurate in his use of that expression. A small detachment of Imperial Lancers was approaching them, their hooves trampling the scorched grass of the wide hill. Their cold armour shone with the dew of the early morning. Priscilla gasped and hid behind Isley again whilst Rigardo stepped forward, beckoning the Strossi to accompany him as a white cape billowed before the Awakened Beings. The gigantic thralls of Isley growled and salivated, staring at the vampiric man before them. Behind him were two young silver-eyed witches, their uniform of a unique black dye. _

_Flanking the two blonde women was a tall warrior with a heroic, ponytailed helm, and a Claymore with a scar along her left eye…_

"_Rafaela… and the Black Ones," recognized Isley, a ghost of a frown flittering over his serene face for the first time._

"_And you are Xu Huang," hissed Rigardo, staring angrily at the warrior that had bested him at He Fei Castle. The joints in his fingers tightened as they itched to tear the human intruders apart. "I am surprised that you would dare to show your face again when I almost severed your head from its shoulders."_

_Xu Huang raised his halberd, glaring at the Awakened Beings with a condemnation that could only be understood by warriors of virtue. There would be no need for formalities. "Alicia. Beth."_

"_Our Lord," they answered in unison. Beth closed her eyes obediently, and Alicia's carapace burst out from her black armour, enveloping her in an insectoid shell of impenetrable bone. She smoothly stepped beside Xu Huang, who twirled his halberd._

"_You now face the challenge of a true soldier," he declared to Rigardo, who fell silent, glaring at the sudden reinforcements. "You will witness a power that even you cannot attain. The power of valour."_

_Rafaela stepped forward. "We may not survive this, you do realize that, don't you? Cao Pi."_

_A snort of derision was the only response. "My father's orders are simple: to rescue the warriors defeated by Isley's minions. That is all there is." Cao Pi aimed his longsword at Rigardo. "Now… it is time to punish you, you overgrown grimalkin," he declared coldly. _

"_Let the Prince of Wei show you just how expensive a Chinese education is."_

*

His dark cape swishing just above his heels, Cao Cao made his way to his bedchambers, where Galatea convalesced. He adjusted his raised collar and entered the room, staring down at the beautiful, womanly figure that reclined on his bed, completely naked and covered only by his luxurious, satin blanket. How different she looked when Cao Pi's wardens had brought her to him! Her limp body seemed about to fall apart, broken as it was, and she was bathed in her own blood, sickening the courtiers in her unconscious presence. Needless to say, for the past four weeks he had demanded his finest doctors and healers to attend to her, to work day and night in mending her grievous injuries.

She was strong, no doubt. But as with Flora, even their Claymore flesh required external assistance. Thank Heaven that the sorcerers were able to help.

He pursed his lips, allowing himself a quiet sigh. He approached Galatea's bed and slowly went on his knees, reaching for her hair. He was inches from touching her when she unconsciously sensed his presence and opened her murky eyes, but that did not stop him. His gloved hands stroked away the bangs covering her forehead.

She stirred and sighed, her voice full of sleep.

"I trust the pain has long left you?" he murmured.

"You again," she moaned. "Leave me to my beauty kip already."

"You have been sleeping for three days. Even a silver-eyed woman should have recovered – "

"The more beautiful the woman, the longer the nap she requires," she interrupted, her voice slightly louder than before. She shifted away, burying her face in her cushion and covering the side of her head with it.

He stared at her for several moments before opening his mouth to speak again. "It may have been only a month… but this _will_ be last time you fail me."

Galatea opened her eyes again. She turned back around slowly, meeting his gaze. "Is that a threat?"

"No." He drew close and pressed his lips to her slightly open mouth. She purred, her slender arm emerging entirely from the silk and pressing against his head. "Without you, my plan cannot eventuate. How many times do you defy me? I need you to carry out my ultimate will."

"That's all fair and dandy, but… what do you intend to do now?" she asked, pressing a finger to his lips.

Cao Cao smiled. "To ensure that those that survived Wu Zhang enjoy the best attention and treatment we can offer."

Her eyes momentarily widened. "A surprise," she murmured, after several moments. "You are actually going to care for them until they can walk again?"

"They will serve me, of course. There will be no defiance on their part, I assure you. But you are right. My wardens shall babysit them until they recuperate completely. Given your rather formidable defensive Yoki, your healing has progressed more rapidly than the others. That you are well enough to attack me with your usual jabs and taunts is proof of that."

He lifted himself up from his knees. "I will do as you say, and leave you to your vain dreaming. I will take my leave now, Governess of China."

"You are a busy man, aren't you?"

"Indeed," he smirked. "I must pay a visit to the nation's new Supreme Commander. Or perhaps I should say that she _will_ be our nation's new military head – whether she likes it or not." He kissed Galatea lightly and stroked back her hair. As she sighed, he turned away to depart. "If you are well enough, don your royal attire and rendezvous with me in the Throneroom tonight. I am sure the woman called Yue Ying shall be awake by now." His eyes glinted. "Like Flora, I believe she will be shocked to wake up to a world without Shu. Or without Wu. Or without Wei."

Galatea smirked. "I hate to admit it, you sly devil… but I, too, would like to see the look on her face."

*

While Galatea and Cao Cao engaged in ironic conversation and exchanged sly words of love, several chambers away, the wife of the deceased Sleeping Dragon opened her chestnut eyes. She shook her head slightly, the throbbing refusing to ease away.

She moaned and blinked slowly amidst the blankets that enfolded her healed body. It was all gone… her wounds, her injuries. She blinked in wobbly disbelief.

"Where… where am I?" she groaned.


	2. Blind Eternities of History

** Blind Eternities of History**

_Wu Zhang Plains_

_The Imperial Lancers charged as one, their weapons aimed directly at the Strossus that blocked their way to Isley and Priscilla. They fearlessly thrust their spears into the demon's leg even as the front line crumpled, and the horses felt themselves trampled underfoot by the much larger forms of the two Strossi advancing from behind. Rafaela somersaulted up, her remaining eye glaring at the five bodies that her battalion had been dispatched to recover. Zhou Tai lay to her right, Flora behind her. Xu Huang had managed to retrieve Yue Ying and Flora, but he was forced on the defensive as a consequence. He staggered back from Rigardo's claws as an Awakened Alicia tackled him from behind, her claws carving deep wounds into the Lion King's back. He turned and they tussled, giving Xu Huang the chance to slip away. _

"_Thank you, Alicia, Beth," he panted exhaustedly._

"_Secure the Yoma-man and the woman in his arms," commanded Rafaela, and the Imperial Lancers scattered into an encircling formation, tightening their collective defence against Isley's minions. It would prove to be only a time-buying strategy. Toe-to-toe, they were no match for the Strossi. Five cavalrymen charged, allowing the massive demons to swipe above them and into the throng of their compatriots. They ignored their screams and galloped to the unconscious Wu admiral. Two Lancers dropped their weapons and reached down, scooping up the heavy man together. But Cynthia remained, falling away from her beloved as their entwined bodies were torn apart. Even as the Strossi turned around in confusion, another company separated from the thundering encirclement and charged towards her limp form, approaching her and scooping her up in a similar manner. The horses whinnied as they turned around, and Rafaela nodded in approval. _

_Their objective was to reclaim the defeated. They had no more business here beyond that._

_Cao Pi spun and leaped towards the fallen body of Galatea, and was nearly swatted aside by an organic arrow from Isley. "Worthless!" He hurtled just above the ground, slashing past a giant Strossus as it swiped at him with dripping, venomous claws. Their attacks were relentless. However, he was not here to test his strength. Speed was of the essence. Ice blasted from his sword, Entropy, momentarily stopping another lumbering minion in its tracks as he zigzagged past a hail of organic arrows from Isley's bow. "You refuse to fight me in your Awakened form," he said disdainfully, as he approached Galatea. He quickly swept her up and hoisted her lifeless body against his shoulder. She was surprisingly light. "Are you looking down on me?"_

_Isley smiled forbearingly. "I would say that you should appreciate this handicap. After all, even a superficial observance of your allies would suggest that your path to oblivion should be an even quicker one than that of Galatea and her friends." Cao Pi flipped up and danced away from two more bolts. He glared at Xu Huang, who was struggling to hold his own against the Lion King, and Alicia, Beth and Rafaela, with whom the Strossi were exchanging blows amidst the growing chaos of the Imperial Lancer formation. "We have retrieved the bodies," he snarled. "Do not waste your time with these ingrates. Retreat!"_

_His eyes widened as Rafaela's body suddenly splattered sickeningly on the ground, and Rigardo staggered back, critically wounded. The two combatants had smashed against each other in an unbreakable deadlock, and Isley had released an organic bolt to force one of them from the other. But whilst Rafaela had managed to leap away and pull Rigardo into the trajectory of Isley's weapon, the Lion King had held onto the Claymore assassin and shot all ten bladed fingers into her body. Gored through ten vital points, including her final eye, Rafaela fell face-first against the grass and did not respond to Cao Pi's shout, even when he rushed to her side and turned her over. "Fool. What you did was not necessary. Now we have six warriors to retrieve for Father."_

"_Go." Rafaela stared sightlessly at him, blood pouring out of her destroyed eye socket. "You will only need to take five with you." Cao Pi stared at her while she took a deep breath, blood trickling from her mouth. "If I could defy the monsters that forced my sister and I to become what we are…"_

"_Rafaela. Do not speak such nonsense."_

_Rafaela did not reply, nor did she desire to. Pierced throughout her head and torso, her head lolled back and her hand fell limp as she died, leaving a wish unfulfilled and a sister unavenged. Cao Pi shook his head in slight shock as he stared down at her bloodsoaked, silent face. On it was a look of modest but pronounced peace, a peace that was long overdue for a woman that had lost the will to live long ago. _

"_So this… is how a silver-eyed woman dies," he murmured to himself, nodding eloquently as his cold eyes glared up at Isley._

_The centaur demon began to laugh, smiling at the crawling Rigardo, still in his Awakened frame, as the latter glared up at the Silver King. "I believe it is time to bring an end to this." _

"_Your sadism knows no bounds, Isley," barked Rigardo._

"_And yet it was you who dealt the killing blow to the onetime Number Five." As if to agree, Isley turned to watch the Strossi overwhelming Alicia. She had collapsed from the sheer power of the larger demons, and feeling her twin crippled, Beth fell to her knees, clutching her head. "No!" cried Xu Huang, his heart sinking as Alicia slowly began to shrink from a darkly noble, formidable Awakened Being to a trembling young woman. He rushed to the sisters, hoping to sweep them away from the Strossi's ravenous, dripping venom. _

"_No," shouted Beth, blood trickling from her eyes. "You have Lady Yue Ying and Lady Cynthia in your arms already. We will continue the fight."_

_Xu Huang did not take pleasure in those words, but he backed away reluctantly, watching the Imperial Lancers reining in their horses and turning them around. "It is time to fall back. Retreat!" screamed their leader. "We will give ground before we lose our entire contingent – "_

_Cao Pi's longsword abruptly emerged from behind the Lancer's chest, and the armoured man gasped in shock, screaming one last time before drooping noiselessly. Alicia and Beth stared at Cao Pi in stupefaction. "Your Highness," roared Xu Huang, "what are you doing?!" The other men cried out in fear as Cao Pi twisted his blade within his own lieutenant, ensuring that his ruined heart beat no longer. _

"_Did I say you could retreat? We only gave orders for those who have the bodies of the four warriors of Wu and Shu and Stepmother to withdraw. The rest of you will stay and ensure Isley does not follow us. I will personally execute anyone who dares to defy my order. You will kill these Awakened Beings or you will die by their hand. Do not deceive yourself that you have any other option," said the Crown Prince coldly._

_The horsemen nervously saluted. "Yes, my Lord." Those that had braved the onslaught of the Strossi to retrieve Zhou Tai and Cynthia looked at each other in relief. The cream of the Wei army, they retreated only in exceptional circumstances. But this was one of those situations when a conventional victory was simply impossible._

"_The Lancers that have repossessed Cynthia and Zhou Tai will retreat to the capital, along with Xu Huang and myself. We must return to Xuchang before all is lost." Cao Pi spat on the ground in disgust as Isley smiled, holding Priscilla close to him. He glanced at the Strossi, their wings flapping again, eager for more blood. On a visual cue, Alicia and Beth moved in front of Cao Pi. "You two, you are coming with us," cried Xu Huang. He grabbed Beth and Alicia by one arm. "You cannot possibly be hoping to defeat them."_

"_We will protect you with the Imperial Lancers," was all Beth said. "Our foremost priority is to bring our comrades to safety."_

"_No!" exclaimed Xu Huang in protest. "You must come with us, lest you die a meaningless death here."_

"_On behalf of our Master, we will not lose," said Beth quietly, looking into Xu Huang's eyes directly. His heart skipped a beat as she stared at him with an unexpected confidence. Occasions on which she did that were very rare. "We will return."_

"_Flee, now," advised Alicia. "There is no more time." Isley smiled as he began to release a new, unprecedented level of Yoki. His skin turned into a shade of ashen black, and he suddenly burst out of his clothes, his black body enlarging and twisting into… _

_Into… _

_A demonic… centaur. The legendary incarnation of the very first Claymore in history; that ancient but ever-youthful, ebony countenance as haunting as the eternal night. He towered over them, astonishingly graceful and elegant for a monster of such huge bulk. Cao Pi swore and the Chinese troops trembled in terror. Glowing embers for eyes peered down at the Imperial Lancers, and their owner re-aimed his bow, preparing an even deadlier volley._

_It was only then that Xu Huang reluctantly backed away, turning towards his horse and calling for Cao Pi to confirm a withdrawal. The young heir was slightly displeased, but he understood the common wisdom of their decision. He ignored Isley's taunt: "Brave, boy. But we will dispose of them with little effort, and we will hunt you down like a hunter chases down a doe and her fawn."_

"_You may have killed Rafaela, but it shall not be the end. I will not forget this humiliation," declared Cao Pi. "I will smite you and that brunette tenfold in return." He reined in his horse, hoisting up Galatea, and began to gallop towards the direction of the dipping moon. The remaining Imperial Lancers followed, two of them having slung Zhou Tai and Cynthia over their shoulders. Xu Huang quickly leaped up onto his horse, clutching Yue Ying and Flora tightly. _

"_We will rendezvous at Luoyang," he said, his voice demanding no protest. "Neither of you can fall here."_

"_Yes, General," replied Alicia and Beth. Without another word, they initiated the Soul Link once again. Alicia was bleeding profusely from the head and had almost lost control of her first Awakening, but she compliantly transformed into a fully-fledged monster once again and raised her bladed arms, coolly eyeing the approaching servants of Isley. They would defend Master Xu Huang from certain death here. They would ensure that the greatest protectors of the world would live to wreak vengeance on the criminals that had managed to rout them this dark morning. _

_They would fortify the realm against the hordes of death._

*****

Cao Cao slowly strolled to Yue Ying's guestroom, his noble shoes tapping lightly on the wooden floorboards. "Indeed, your campaign of rescue was a desperate battle, but its outcome was miraculous, considering the alternative," he muttered. "You did well to minimize our casualties, my son."

Several minutes passed in silence before he reached the red drapes that lent the much-needed privacy to the recuperating woman. He passed by the Royal Guards that stood by in attendance to the chamber's entrance. They were at least three feet taller than him: a mix of Mongolian, Hun, and northern Chinese breed, they were handpicked by his ministers to serve as the Court's closest, most dependable soldiers. They were fanatically loyal to the Chinese cause and would fight to the death, taking many demons and infernal creatures with them. They were immune to hypnosis or bewitchment, were immune to all forms of magic or incantations, and never allowed themselves to be captured by the enemy. Inhumanly disciplined, their armour was dark, plaid and efficient, and they wielded long poleswords designed for protective countermeasures rather than pre-emptive offence.

They saluted in silence as he walked into the bedroom, his eyes falling upon the auburn woman who had, true to his prediction, awoken. She sat upright, propping herself on two cushions, her clasped hands on her lap as she silently stared down at her knuckles.

She turned her head up as he made his way over to her to stand by the bedside. He gave a curt nod and opened his mouth to speak. "At last, you are conscious. It seems my intuition of your recovery's duration was not inaccurate – given the wounds you suffered, I estimated that a month would suffice."

He extended a hand. "But surely you must feel disoriented. Allow me to explain everything, as I have done with Flora – "

Yue Ying's furious straight right smashed into his face, and blood spurted from his nostrils as he was hurled back. Before he could clutch at his broken nose, her swinging hook caught him under his goateed chin, cracking it loose. He staggered from her bed as she leaped up and lunged at him, indifferent to the fact that she wore nothing more than a willowy, near-transparent nightgown. Her bare feet landed smoothly on the carpeted floor and she struck him again, this time in the ribs, and he clutched at his abdomen, staring down at the ground as she loomed over him.

"You megalomaniacal, genocidal murderer," she gritted. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this day. Now I stand facing your detestable face, that face that ordered the slaughter of my entire village. Fight me!" She raised her tightly scrunched fists again. "This for my father. For my mother, and little sisters. For my tribe!"

"Your Excellency!" cried the Royal Guards, charging into the room and aiming their poleswords at Yue Ying. She caught one of the taller men's outstretched arm as he swung at her and shoved her hip against his, turning him over her shoulder in an immaculately executed throw. He slammed to the ground painfully. She parried the wild thrust of another and countered with a palm-heel strike to his chin, snapping back his head and jarring his neck. He flung out a hand to regain some measure of balance, and she quickly subjected him to a tight lock, hurling herself to the ground and taking him with her. She wrapped her legs around his limb in a smooth armbar and thrust her hip up. A loud _crack_ of the elbow rang out through the room, and the Royal Guard bawled in agony. The remaining two sentinels aimed their halberds at her buxom form, moving to shield their master.

She scrambled up, holding up her hands in a prepared stance and glaring at them silently. They growled. "You deserve nothing less than execution for your ingratitude, you insolent – "

"Do not move!" roared Cao Cao, shocking the Royal Guards into silence. He staggered back up, smoothing down his armour and coat while holding up a hand of warning.

"She is disoriented and confused. Let her do as she pleases."

They stared at him in disbelief. "Your Excellency, surely we must punish her thanklessness and violence – "

"I will not repeat myself. Return outside."

The guardians blinked, and then backed away slowly and awkwardly, until they were standing at attention beyond the veil, horribly uncomfortable at the fact that the ruler of the Middle Kingdom had ordered them to stand aside whilst he was physically abused and humiliated by a guest within.

Cao Cao gave a wolfish, almost masochistic grin as his bodyguards left his sight. "Now… where were we?" he asked, glancing into Yue Ying's brown eyes.

"Damn you," she growled.

He stared at her intently and she spun, throwing a powerful kick towards the side of his body. Her long, shapely leg crushed against his ribs, and his knees buckled from the force of her shin, but still he refused to resist. Admiring the acrobatic and lithe form of her nubile body, he allowed her one more fist to be planted against his face before finally defending himself, blocking her subsequent strike with a raised forearm. Bone collided with bone, and for once she gave ground. He waited patiently until she withdrew her hand. She staggered back, rubbing her sore hand.

The bedroom was silent, save for her angry panting. "I hope the future you see… is worth the future you are trying to kill," he suggested dryly, flicking blood off his lip. He casually pressed against his nose ridge. A nauseating _crack_ and a grunt of pain, and it re-aligned itself. He did the same to his jaw, and it snapped back into position, and a sharp sensation of agony shot up his mouth. His knees felt weak, but he managed to remain standing.

"No need," she panted quietly, unclenching her fists ever so slightly. "I'm finished… for now."

"Satisfied?"

"Not quite. But it helped."

He did not lift his heavy gaze away from her, and before long, she bit her lip, lowering her arms to her waist. She backed away and slowly sat on the edge of her bed. All her rage had dissipated. Only devastation remained.

"I know," she said softly. "My husband… would not have wanted to see me like this."

"I overheard my son and Sima Yi discussing the recent affairs outside your chambers. I trust they did not disturb your rest?"

"No, that was not so," admitted Yue Ying. "But… now, I know it is done. I know Chengdu has fallen. But why… why did you not come to Liu Shan's aid?" she asked, looking at him, her voice simmering with fury. "He was not a competent ruler, like his father Liu Bei, nor was he an able strategist like my late husband. You know well he would have failed against… Isley's invasion."

"My messengers sent word of his defeat a week ago." Cao Cao's face was sombre. "The order of battle was this: Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Yang Yi, Fei Yi, and Ma Dai. They all fell, your best generals. In response, I dispatched seven armies to Chengdu, to aid Shu's devastated forces."

His scowl deepened. "But without the guidance of Galatea or Alicia and Beth, my seven armies were also decimated with little effort on part of the enemy. My men's deaths must not be in vain, for they have bought us more time as we amass a fresh series of offensives against Isley. Through chaos, there comes the opportunity for order" Cao Cao paused thoughtfully. "You know what must be done, Yue Ying. There is nothing left for you in Shu. There can be only one China… under me. And I intend to merge the entirety of this country's military forces – Shu, Wu, and Wei's – into one grand force: the so-called _Jin Alliance_. And I need you to lead it, as the Grand General of not merely Shu, but of the Middle Kingdom."

She looked down again at her knuckles, although they were now scraped and bloodied with Cao Cao's blood. "I cannot do that. I cannot lead the armies of the world in a state like this."

"Foolishness."

"Your Queen… Galatea… she slew Liu Bei, and in doing so, she stole the dreams of an entire people. And my dreams of protecting the weak have been extinguished by our defeat at your hands, Cao Cao. How can I fulfil the hopes of All Under Heaven when I cannot even fulfil the hopes of my childhood?" She stared into his irises fearlessly. "My lifelong dream of defeating you."

He smiled. "So you would still fight me when your true anger should be directed against Isley? While such hypocrisy afflicts you, your fists and blades can never harm me."

"You are a far more dangerous being than Isley could ever hope to be."

"My head is the most difficult of targets, yet you managed to break my jaw this day. Is that not enough?"

She blinked in surprise. She closed her eyes as he waited for an answer, allowing herself a bittersweet smile. "Yes. At the very least, the day my son's children ask me what I am most proud of, I will have something to answer them with."

_What would you say to me, my husband_?

Her resolve gradually returned as she stood back up. She placed her hands defiantly on her hips, staring at the Imperial Chancellor. "Just as my late King intended with the Emperor, I will surrender to him, the sovereign you claim to serve, yet continue to manipulate. But I will not surrender to you. Never to you, Cao Cao. I serve the Han people, and what is best for them. And that is to serve as the Supreme Commander and head scientist of your armies. I know what I must do. I will lead them to victory against Isley. I will bring China victory."

The glint in Cao Cao's eye indicated his immense pleasure. "That is more than enough," he whispered, wiping away at the blood on his nose. "That you understand your position is that of the new Supreme Commander … is more than enough."

Silence passed between them, and it was as if they had reached an unspoken understanding. How could she have imagined herself in this position, being indebted to her archenemy to fight a common adversary? She would have protested fervidly were it not in the name of preserving the lives of countless innocents. But in the name of liberating China… there was no price not worth paying. There was only one way to defeat the Awakened Beings – together. That was the reality of the circumstances, and no measure of grief could ever change that.

Cao Cao snapped his fingers, and an attendant strode in almost immediately. "This is the first favour I have to ask of you, Yue Ying. It shall be your foremost contribution to the strategy that I intend to initiate." In the courtier's arms was a strange casket to which Cao Cao gestured. "Within this box is the head of the Dweller of the South, Luciela. She will hold the key to developing anti-Yoma weapons that can surpass the defences of even Abyssal Ones."

Yue Ying blanched. "Luciela? You… have Luciela's head? Then our Southern Expedition… did not end in failure, although… it was you that managed to reap the spoils." Her eyes widened in realization. "I remember that dark day… it truly was your plan all along. That day, when we were forced to split our forces due to your two-pronged attack on Shi Ting and Tianshui…"

He smirked. "A most astute observation. You have seen through the intentions I harboured during that campaign. Tianshui and Shi Ting were merely and thankfully additional benefits. But my true objective was the being you sought to kill – and thanks to Rafaela, Miata and Clarice, it is all becoming realized as I planned."

"You manipulative reprobate," growled Yue Ying.

"The orders I gave to sabotage your Southern Expedition may have been expedient and cynical, but they were within the code, laws and art of war. In the context of civil conflict, it violated nothing and fulfilled its military objectives."

Another attendant glided into the room, his hands clutching several rolls of creased scrolls of paper. He stopped before them, and Cao Cao nodded for her to take the parchments.

She glanced at him suspiciously before taking the scrolls. She stared down at the sketches. "Impossible. Since when did you know of my bladed bow's specifications?" She glanced to the small table beside her bed, on which Sapphire Crescent lay. Now that she thought of it, she hadn't used it since she became comatose… "Just what have you done with it?"

"Sima Yi's alchemists asked to… borrow it, to tinker with its properties for their own designs. Worry not. I hear it was relatively easy to reassemble. There have been no problems with its functionality after we acquired its specifications."

"You really are a conniving scoundrel, do you know that?" She was about to condemn him further when her gaze fell upon a scribbled scrawl of characters on a miniature map of the known world: _Mount Imeon_.

"Mount Imeon…" she whispered.

"The site of our new stronghold – the Cosmodrome. You shall depart for that location in several weeks."

"What is this? Why do you know of it?"

"Mount Imeon is the name for a complex of mountain ranges that begin from Tian Shan. My Central Plains Guardians are not merely warriors. They are settlers from distant lands west of our world, and their pathfinders and scouts were most helpful in securing the mountain sierra and summit for me. They will play a crucial role in protecting the Cosmodrome."

A massive landscape formed from the heart of the earth, Mount Imeon extended from the Zagros Mountains in the southwest to the Altay massif in the northeast, and linked to the Kunlun, Karakoram and Himalayas to the southeast. Settlers and miners at Sar-e-Sang produced lapis lazuli for a livelihood, supplying the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and Rome with the precious rock through traders and sailors. Over the millennia, Mount Imeon's western Badakhshan region had become famous for its deposits of lapis lazuli.

It had only been a month, and the war already had drawn in a spectrum of players.

Cao Cao nodded as Yue Ying continued to study Sima Yi's research. "The summit of Mount Imeon will be the most suitable location to… use this new weapon without endangering our own military forces. It shall, accordingly, be protected by the elite of our elite."

Her eyes suddenly froze upon seeing a long, almost phallic diagram on the opened scroll. "Is this a magazine? Or is this the proposed weapon itself?" she asked uneasily. The primary ammunition sketched was not that of her signature rounds. Rather, this was of an entirely different size and dimension, one with measurements that seemed to dwarf even a navy galleon.

What was this new innovation?

"This weapon will ensure us victory against our demonic foes, but it is one that requires the fusion of the flesh of an Abyssal One. Observe the proposed designs. The implantation of this Southern Dweller's flesh into a certain entity – organic or synthetic – will give it a hundredfold strength in destroying creatures of a similar kind… in other words, monsters such as Isley. And I wish to infuse it into this so-called warhead, the first of its kind. My late cousin Cao Ren possessed technology of a similar model, something that was not privy even to me."

"You cannot mean…"

"Yes. The mechanisms called _rocket thrusters_." His eyes glinted. "Galatea knows that I have always wished to reach the stars in the night sky. We shall rise to the task with this whilst the Awakened army crumbles. It will be the first step in our aspiration to elevate China to its rightful place as the world's supreme nation."

"You… you've taken my bladed bow's armament specifications… and multiplied it tenfold," she whispered in comprehension. "An armament of this sort would be… inconceivably devastating."

"It is not mere firepower," he denied. "As I already asserted, this new weapon is specifically designed to destroy Isley and any other Awakened Beings of his power. It has a specific name. And only you can herald a new era in Chinese warfare with it."

Yue Ying could no longer believe her eyes as she stared at the words scribbled down at the corner of the parchment. "You want me to develop an… _Abyssal Eater Missile_?"

"Yes," sneered Cao Cao, enjoying her horrified face, "for the higher purpose of victory, we shall devour Isley and his hordes in a mushroom cloud that touches the very roof of the world."

*

_Four hundred years of continuous rule came to an end with the establishment of the last Han Emperor as a puppet ruler. But already there lurked a sinister presence in China, exultant in its victory in a distant realm against an organization of silver-eyed warriors. It sought to extend its triumph and armies across the entire universe, and its ultimate prize would be the realm of the Middle Kingdom. The darkness had bided its time, waiting patiently. It was at the Battle of the Red Cliffs that history would be shaken to its foundations – for an invasion, planned for years by a foreign foe, suddenly fell upon the warring states, taking the Chinese people by utter surprise and plunging the realm into a war against supernatural, demonic enemies that feasted on human innards. Furthermore, civil war began to plague the land, as it split into the Kingdoms of Shu, Wu and Wei, all vying for supremacy and the ultimate destruction of the mysterious man called Isley. Seeking an end to the three-way stalemate, the Shu and Wu Kingdoms allied against the larger Wei Empire and attempted one last breakthrough. But the eminent Hero of Chaos remained unperturbed, and his generals dealt Shu a deathblow during the climatic Battle of Wu Zhang Plains, with Galatea personally slaying the Shu King Liu Bei. Her plan of unification was coming ever closer…_

_But her husband's ambition was not to be fulfilled just yet. _

_With the swiftness of a falcon and the strength of a tempest, Isley seized upon his crushing victory against Miria and her comrades in the Kumtag Desert and departed for the Wei River, effortlessly destroying the weary Shu, Wu and Wei forces there with his loyal Strossi. And with all due haste, he departed to ring the death knell for the Shu and Wu Kingdoms, sending his Strossi to fall upon the leaderless Chengdu. Without Flora or Yue Ying to defend it, the capital of the Shu state quickly crumpled before the wrath of the Northern Dweller and his consort, Priscilla. Rigardo did not rest on his laurels at Wu Zhang, either. On the eastern seaboard, Jianye was completely annihilated by a ferocious legion of scuta, bloodstocks and witch beasts. Without his eminent guardians Cynthia and Zhou Tai, King Sun Quan and his loyal warriors fell, whispering for his father to forgive them as the Wu legacy perished._

_Only the titanic Wei state remained. The only force strong enough to put up even a paltry resistance, the forces of Cao Cao stood against the full onslaught of the Awakened hordes. With the little reinforcements they could muster after their appalling losses at Wu Zhang Fortress, Prince Cao Pi managed to recover the limp bodies of the five warriors – Galatea, Flora, Cynthia, Yue Ying and Zhou Tai – from the ultimate indignity of becoming victuals for the Strossi. But time was against them. All of China's hopes now rested on one prospect: that all of Shu and Wu's people would join hands with Wei, and bring about the first stage of Cao Cao's ambition: a united China, a united front from which the Middle Kingdom could destroy Isley and his monolithic army._

_The Han Dynasty had reached its final twilight. The evening star of revolution had descended. There was now a new Mandate that would set the destiny for all._

_But the descent of the evening star rarely brings a tender dawn_.


	3. Desperate Saviours

**Desperate Saviours**

Flora avoided Cao Cao's dark eyes as she confirmed the news that she dreaded. Her hands clutched tighter at her blanket. "Shu… really has been obliterated. It is almost too staggering to believe. Although I should have known the destruction those Awakened Beings were capable of after our disastrous struggle against them," she said, her voice almost a choke.

"Isley seized Hanzhong after destroying our forces at Wu Zhang Plains, before striking at Chengdu. As I enlightened you of earlier, I have sent Xu Huang and the Black Ones in a mission to retake Hanzhong. We must wrest back that city from the Awakened Beings before they can strike at the Central Plains again."

"But… how… did you manage to repulse Isley from Wu Zhang?"

"We did not," he denied dryly. "My son and his forces withdrew once they had retrieved the five of you. According to his report, they managed to slay two so-called Strossi and injure Rigardo to some extent. But these 'Thrones of Darkness' quickly retreated to regather their strength, and the dire circumstances did not merit a pursuit. Besides, we lost Rafaela to Isley. As enticing as it is to avenge her death, it was simply not prudent, especially when five important lives were hanging on a silken thread."

He paused, looking out the wooden-framed window and into the courtyard below. "You slew my cousin, Flora," he observed dryly. "You punctured his armour and cleaved through his body like a dagger through silk."

"I will not repent of that," she snapped, louder than she expected. She blinked, and lowered her voice to its usual mildness. "Cao Ren killed the man I love. I will always respect your cousin as a warrior. But I cannot forgive him. Never."

"When did I ask you to excuse yourself?" snorted Cao Cao. "I am merely pointing out the reality that I, too, have relations. I am a human being, and I hold human beings close to my heart, even in war. I grieve for all the lives that have been wasted in this pointless conflict. But at last, it has all ended." He nodded to himself. "Yes. The land has long since been mired in chaos, but it is now free. Now all that remains is to crush the Awakened Beings that threaten this land, and China shall finally know the new age I dreamt of."

He looked down at Flora. "You are part of that vision. Surely Galatea has already told you of it. You must unite with her. For every silver-eyed warrior that comes under her wing, the realm grows further in resolve and concord. You are all warriors of talent. And it is talented people that I seek to rule the new world."

Silence reigned for several minutes as they gazed at each other.

"If I am to do this, then I must be privy to your knowledge," she replied calmly. "I refuse to serve your vision unless I can see it clearly within my mind's eye, too."

"That can easily be remedied. I will tell you everything you wish to know. Would that satisfy your trust?" he requested, matching her placidness with a surprising and somewhat disarming calm.

She hesitated, and then nodded.

"If you can clear my doubt as to what I am fighting for… then even without my Lord Zilong, I will take up Durandal once again, and wield it in your name."

"The Middle Kingdom will remember you as a true heroine," whispered Cao Cao, "this I swear."

She nodded. "I am tired, Your Excellency. May I have some time to myself?"

He gave a sympathetic smirk. "Of course." He moved towards the doors and disappeared with a billow of his cape.

She turned and stared out the wooden-framed window by the side of the wall. A diminutive songbird flittered by a branch and twittered curiously at her. But her eyes had clouded over, akin to a lover disillusioned by the sudden end of romance. She did not pay attention to the little creature. Noticing her unhappiness, the songbird chirped sadly and flew off, deprived of the company it sought.

"What would you have me do?" she asked quietly.

This time, it was the Crown Prince that entered the room and approached her bedside, but she avoided looking at him. "I am a broken woman. You witnessed my hysteria for yourself."

"I found your squealing to be quite amusing… but I digress. The first action we must take is to inaugurate the new Jin Alliance. We shall require the assembly of all Shu, Wu and Wei Claymores in the presence of Emperor Xian. And then, with a formal blessing from His Majesty, we will be in a position to coordinate our first major counterattacks against Isley and Rigardo."

He stared down at her. "But I must wonder… how do you know for certain that _he_ is dead?"

She blinked. "You cannot mean…"

"You know whom I speak of. The little dragon you adore so. The two of you fought against my wife and I at Tianshui."

She stared up at him, astonished and dumbfounded. "You cannot possibly be implying…"

"I am not. I am surprised, however, by your propensity to resignation so easily."

She was completely taken aback. Of all things, she had never expected such a cruel and pitiless man to say something so… sensible. So encouraging.

He grimaced as he began to pace about, his cold eyes deep in thought. "Giving up is what kills people. In the midst of deceit and lies, betrayal and hurt… what must a person do to gain anything at all?" He licked his lips, immersed in his own reflections. "Only the will to fight… to dominate… renders humanity worthy of treading their noble path."

She looked away. If she met his eyes, surely she would collapse from vulnerability. But more importantly, was he right? Could it be that she was mistaken? Did she dare to believe the impossible?

She turned and lifted away her blanket, moving to place her bare feet on the floor. Her milky-white legs felt cold. "I miss him so. He fought by my side against you. It was my greatest honour to be loved by a man of his calibre."

"Should the chance arise, I am willing to indulge your… curiosity as to Zhao Yun's whereabouts." Cao Pi walked away, his pace relaxed and unperturbed. "The world has changed in an inconceivably short time. If you wish to protect the Chinese people, then you shall serve my father and I. Even if you found Zhao Yun now, there would be nowhere for you to go, except to remain in Luoyang… and to fight for the Chinese people you have come to love."

She avoided his eyes. The world had indeed changed. The master plan set forth by Galatea and Cao Cao had begun to take effect, and she was chosen, as a witness, to wield Durandal for the people.

If she could stay here until… perhaps… she managed to find him…

Was it too much to ask for? Was it too audacious to believe that Zhao Yun still lived?

"What choice do I have?" she murmured. She looked up at Cao Pi, hiding the doubt and fear as best as she could. "Until I find my beloved dragon, I cannot simply sit by while my people suffer from the Continent's scourge." She glared at her rescuer. "But I shall serve only them, not you. I will not submit merely to – "

"Swear it," he demanded, his eyes glinting viciously. "I command that you make an oath before me, here and now. Refuse, and my offer shall be withdrawn. I shall bind you in chains and have you agonize, day and night in my most putrid dungeons, over what could have been. And I will never permit you to search for him… even if I knew of his survival."

She lifted her body from the bed and stood before him. Only one month ago, she could never have imagined kneeling before this man, this man who would resort to such vile oppression and coercion to achieve his vile goals.

Her hand found his face, but it was a weak slap, a disappointed, saddened blow. He didn't even feel the need to resist the sting. She glared at him, silently enraged at his apathetic lack of response.

But after many months of weary battle and with nothing to lose, she finally did the impossible. She sighed quietly, and genuflected before the Crown Prince, closing her eyes in resignation.

"Kiss my hand," he commanded.

She took it, and her lips brushed along his knuckles gently.

"I hate you, Crown Prince."

Cao Pi smiled, pleased. "Good. A worthy heir must be hated, respected and feared. Now that you hate me, I'll enjoy seeing how you will respect and fear me."

*

Cao Cao descended beneath the long palace stairwell, into the massive subterranean city that resembled a hellish reflection of its counterpart on the surface world. Known only as Stonekeep, it had been excavated from the bedrock of the earth to serve as a secret weapons forge and refuge for the army in a function similar to the cavernous city below Xuchang. He made his way down below the deepest dungeons, where the Grand Preceptor Sima Yi awaited him. He took a shortcut through an even more secret tunnel, avoiding the intricate mazes and stairwells that constituted the totality of a labyrinth. After almost an hour of secretive, furtive walking, he finally reached a small, dank door that creaked open upon his approach.

"My Lord," hissed the ghostly Sima Yi, emerging from the darkness and bowing, his clawed hands clasped near his waist. They have not lifted themselves from their slumber just yet. However, Your Excellency has not wasted his time, for we already have begun our… observations into the Yoki power's capabilities."

"Zhuge Liang assumed that only a mind such as his could imagine the potential of a human-Yoma union. But he was too arrogant to realize that he had found a match in me," said Sima Yi craftily. His eyes glinted. "Now… we shall have new weapons in our arsenal against the nightmare of Priscilla."

He turned and gestured to the shadows of a man and a woman, chained by their wrists and ankles against the short, cramped wall. "Feast your eyes upon our great hope," he continued dramatically. "The miracle, the absurdity of our era. This specimen, which your son saved from the Central Plains, will be a crucial factor in determining the balance of power between you and Isley."

The darkness was still overpowering, so Cao Cao squinted further to differentiate the figures. He inhaled in reverent awe.

One was a beautiful, young blonde, her large, gentle eyes shut lightly, almost as if she was merely feigning sleep.

The other was a tall, muscular Chinese man, stripped of his black and red plated armour. His scarred torso was stretched out, his wrists hoisted high above his head whilst chains bound his lower extremities tightly. He snored quietly, oblivious to their presence… to her presence.

"We have allowed them to recover here, ensuring that their Yoki does not get the better of them. This wench is harmless, but the man is dangerous. He fought briefly alongside Zhang Liao and Xu Huang at He Fei, but was instrumental in the Shu-Wu efforts to break past our defensive frontlines. Since his defeat at Wu Zhang, he has remained in a vegetative state since Xu Huang retrieved him. He is our secret weapon," he breathed, "our trump card. He is the Middle Kingdom's first native silver-eyed warrior."

Cao Cao nodded. "The man-fiend… Zhou Tai. And I have heard of his lieutenant… Wu's foremost Claymore, Cynthia. You said that they were recently married, did you not?" He turned to Sima Yi. "Leave me. I wish to deal with these two alone."

"But of course, my Lord." Sima Yi retreated, smirking behind his superior's back. The prison door clanged shut, and Cao Cao turned to stare at the couple that once served the Kingdom of Wu. He had never met them in person before. How extraordinary, that he could at last look upon their peaceful faces. And it was even more amazing that they had managed to cling on to life… with the assistance of his alchemists and healers, of course.

He raised his hand and opened his palm. A shimmering orb of blue magick floated upwards and began to swirl around the prison chamber. He closed his eyes, allowing the icy _chi_ to seep into the dormant auras of his chained guests.

"It is your turn to take back what is rightfully yours, warriors of Wu," he whispered, his face illuminated by his spell. "It is time. Time to…

"Wake up."

*

"_Baby_."

He did not respond. The urge to sleep was too strong.

"_My Lord_…"

Why were voices still audible? Had he not consigned himself to the sleep of winter, the chill of deathly slumber? Rigardo had been victorious, had he not? He had resigned himself to death the moment Cynthia had ceased to breathe. Her passing away had been his death knell, the cue for his destruction. He would not wish it to be otherwise.

"_Tai_!"

Then… why could he still hear her voice? Was the Hereafter this noisy?

"Ugh…" He groaned quietly, almost inaudibly. He stirred and glanced around wildly, his enhanced eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. "…What is this place?" He lifted his hand, but as strong as he was, in his disoriented and weakened state, he could not get the better of his chains. He blinked several times.

_A dungeon_…

It was a small, enclosed cell with only one door, and he had been shackled against the wall, his ankles scraping against the ground uncomfortably. It was only then that he noticed he was naked, his armour nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Tai," came a musical, sweet voice.

The memories smashed into him like a giant mace. He recalled everything within his mind's eye – his meeting with her, his deliverance from Awakening by her hands, their marriage, the joy of their union and the heartbreak of their separation at Wu Zhang Plains. He felt his eyes moistening. "Impossible," he whispered. "Is it you?"

"Yes," came the gentle, cracking tone. "Yes, Tai. It's me."

She was beside him, staring into his eyes hopefully as he whipped his neck around to face her. She gave a quiet sigh of joy as their eyes met. He gasped in shock that she was here before him, alive and not dead. He sighed in joy as he instantly recognized her warm smile, her smooth, fair, slightly mussed blonde hair, and her twinkling, gentle eyes. But most of all, he growled in fury that she too was naked, chained like an animal and callously locked in this cell with him. How dare they abuse her like this? "Cynthia…" He growled. "I will destroy your cuffs."

"You're awake," mumbled Cynthia joyfully, tears brimming from her large eyes. Her arms and legs, like his own, were chained at their extremities, and he felt rage swirling within him as he struggled to break his own bonds. "My Lord… my baby Tai… I'm just happy to see you awake again. Don't fight just yet. Just talk to me. I have something… to tell you."

"Who has done this to you?" he hissed, his eyes flashing yellow. "I will kill them."

She sighed as he refused to listen to her pleading. "Please, don't be silly, my Lord. We can't do anything yet in our weakened state. We can only hope they've restrained us because we're of Yoma flesh, and not because they wish to harm us." She looked away. "Yet… I am fearful. For so long, we have slept. I worry that…"

At her quiet, pleading, judicious words, he stilled slightly, although he still interrupted her with his concern. "Are you hurt?"

She stared at him, and then to her side. "I… I don't think so. But was I not…" she glanced down at her bosom. "Was I not stabbed in the heart?" she asked perplexedly. "Even half-Yoma like us would not have been able to survive such wounds. I had feared that death was certain."

He exhaled quietly, nodding in agreement as they exulted in the fact – the unbelievable fact – of each other's survival.

"You underestimate the power of your so-called defensive Yoki. As long as you were swiftly plucked from the clutches of your brutal enemy and given plenty of time to recover, it is possible to heal wounds that do not destroy the head. But Master Zhou Tai seems to surpass even that limitation."

Cynthia blinked in surprise as a stern but noble voice rang out through the dank dungeon. A tall and dignified silhouette in the silver armour of a wyvern opened the dungeon door. "Unchain them," came his voice. A scrawny attendant hurried in and up to Cynthia, much to Zhou Tai's chagrin. With four quick fumbles, the servant unlocked the shackles that bound the Wu Claymore's wrists and ankles. She let out a soft cry as her naked body fell onto the attendant, unable to balance or find its bearings. He quickly set her aside and caught a large cape thrown by the mysterious silhouette. He handed it to Cynthia, who gratefully wrapped the cape around her shivering form. "Now, Master Zhou Tai. It is your turn," came the noble voice.

"I wish to see your face, benefactor," said Zhou Tai hesitantly.

"My apologies. I assure you that keeping your unconscious bodies in a secure dungeon was… a necessary precaution, given your half-Yoma flesh." The man in wyvern armour stepped into the weak light that barely illuminated even his bright armour. His eyes were small and narrow, like Zhou Tai's, but unlike the Wu officer, he possessed trimmed and immaculately kept facial hair.

"Greetings, old rival," he said. "Do you remember me?"

"Master Zhang Liao," said Zhou Tai in shock. He barely noticed the attendant unchaining him. To his own surprised, he found the strength to walk over to his suit of armour and retrieve his black cape, wrapping it around him in an identical manner to Cynthia. "We fought together against Rigardo at He Fei… and you were a witness to the secret of my… Yoma flesh. You seem well. I am glad."

Zhang Liao smiled. "I am sorry for the indignity we were forced to subject you to. But I believe it is better to be safe than sorry."

Zhou Tai glanced to his side, glimpsing a watery-eyed Cynthia, her face radiant with joy and relief. Her messed long hair draping down her rounded shoulders, she whispered his name, over and over again, as if unable to believe that he had veritably returned from dead to love her once again. Cursing himself for his negligence, he hurried to embrace her. He nuzzled against her face, grateful and relieved beyond measure. He almost uttered an obligatory prayer of thanks to anyone that would welcome the appreciation.

"This is nothing less than a miracle," he murmured.

She sighed in his arms. "_You_ are nothing less than a miracle."

They remained immersed in silence for what seemed several hours, until Zhang Liao spoke again. "I have come here with my master, who wishes to see you. It was he that cast a spell to break you out of your hypnosis, which was essential in tranquilizing you during your month-long period of convalescence." Zhou Tai glanced up as Zhang Liao and bowed made way for a shorter, darker figure that emerged from the shadows like a restless wraith. The half-Yoma man's arms tightened around Cynthia as he remembered the identity of Zhang Liao's liege… and his fearsome countenance.

"My Lord, and the Prime Minister of the Chinese nation. Cao Cao Mengde."

The attendant and Zhang Liao bowed, but Cynthia squeaked in fear at the demonic man, whose hawkish face seemed more frightening than Hell itself. He was not tall, nor was he large in any sense. But his human _chi_ dwarfed that of even Zhou Tai's, for it was crafted in the fires of not merely military strategy or martial arts, but of every school of learning that the Chinese academies had to offer. In that sense, he was living proof that no matter how strong the enemy would become, they would do well not to underestimate humanity's capabilities.

But war was war.

"Cao Cao," said Zhou Tai, hugging Cynthia close.

"Be at ease," said Zhang Liao. "We are not – "

"What do you want with us?" cried Cynthia. "Why are we here like this?"

To the couple's surprise, Cao Cao grinned. "You two must be hungry," he replied. "Would you not join me for dinner before anything else?"

She blinked. "I – "

Zhang Liao gestured towards the dungeon door with an open palm. "My Lord will explain everything once you have bathed and are appropriately dressed to sit in his presence. Until then, I urge you to regain your footing quickly. There is much to be said and done."


	4. To Fight for a Nemesis

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I've been occupied with writing my thesis and a new series of Gundam 00/Transformers stories. Don't fear for this story – I never leave a fanfic unfinished. ;)

*

*

*

**To Fight For a Nemesis**

_Western China_

He was an unusually diminutive Awakened Being – a humanoid with the head and fur of a filthy rodent, clad in the armour of human bones from the Continent. His eyes were beady, but sparkled with an unusual worldliness that bespoke of a somewhat more freethinking soul than that of his more mindless, obedient comrades. "This is it?" he asked, his hoarse, rasping voice a screech to the ear, a piercing whine that confused the high pitch of a complaining child with the sarcastic giggle of a court jester of the Continent.

"This is it, Farrow," came a deep, rumbling reply. It was curt, short and to the point, as if eager to dismiss unessential questions and dispense with pleasant conversation. Standing beside the rodent aberration stood a gargantuan titan with grey, ashen skin and the head of a wild, tusked boar. Twenty feet tall, his silver eyes were all that remained of his past life generations into the past, when he found his identity fighting against Yoma. But that was many centuries ago, in a time so ancient that he had forgotten how had ever joined the Organization… or how he Awakened.

Now, he didn't merely fight alongside them – he commanded them. A hundred thousand of them – Yoma, Continental Bloodstock, Scuta, Warlocks – they united to form a bestiary of horrific, hungry creatures that thirsted for warm-blooded sustenance. At eight feet tall, the Yoma towered over their human foes and wielded giant maces of indestructible steel, similar to the metal forged to construct Claymore swords. They possessed slightly reptilian faces, although their faces were more of the ogre taxonomy than anything else. As if their thickened, ashen skin was not enough, they were armoured with pauldrons on their right shoulders, gauntlets and pleated faulds. Supporting the basic Awakened infantry were the Warlocks: the wizards of the Thrones, Warlocks were power-hungry wizards and outcasts of societies from the distant medieval Isles. Some were once even former agents of the Organization, lured into service to the Thrones by promises of riches and decadence. Their greed and thirst for knowledge was at once their strength and their weakness.

"Humans are a most interesting breed of mammalian. I almost remember when we lived amongst them, before the primal pleasure of Awakening became simply irresistible." Farrow turned to his comrade. "Do you miss wielding the phallic killing tool known as a Claymore, Blacktail?"

"No," said the boar-man. He looked down at his massive, twenty-foot long barbarian club. "I believe this suits my taste more than a sword ever did." He gazed out at the floundering human armies, their formations growing ever more disorderly as the Awakened Beings and Yoma swarmed over them, annihilating their vanguard and demolishing their few remaining fortifications. "We have wasted enough time, General Farrow. Let us mop up these allied troops and be done with it." He loomed over the dying humans mockingly, roaring for the Bloodstock to move in for the final kill. Four-armed and four-hoofed horrors with beak-like, eyeless faces, Bloodstock were in fact Yoma fused together by the Warlocks, created to serve as mindless heavy shock troops that felt no pain and stopped for nothing until all eight limbs were severed. Their skin was of a wrinkly texture, their colour, of a deathly grey and bleeding pink. Leading the charge were the elite Scuta, humanoid, thirteen-foot tall monstrosities with curved blades attached at the ends of their clawed hands. Their faces were strikingly terrifying: their mouths were covered by a facemask, whilst their glowing, beady green eyes were sunk into a wide, throbbing head with their oily brain exposed. Their bodies were lean in flesh but encased in tight, rusting silver armour. As such, no mortal force could withstand the collective horror of these hellish legions.

"Still, I admire these inferior creatures for their determination," commented Farrow, adjusting the faulds around his waist. "It's something that's worth learning from, even though we are the generals of the Throne Army."

"Idiocy," observed Blacktail coldly. "Humans have nothing to teach us. We have experienced all they can only dream of in one day. Even their precious emotions… we feel them far stronger than they can ever conceive of. Perhaps we are even more human than humans themselves."

"Ha! I agree. That is the scheme of things." Farrow twirled his extendable flail, cutting through another throng of charging infantry soldiers. They were the final guard of Shu troops that stayed behind to hinder the Yoma from chasing down the fleeing peasants and commoners that took flight from the cities in their hundreds of thousands. The rest of the allied military forces had either crumpled or fled to the north. He raised his shoulders, lowering his arms. "Chengdu has fallen, yet they still struggle on. They no longer hold their own land, yet they hold onto hope. It is the same for Jianye. Rigardo wiped out the remnants of Sun Quan's forces weeks ago, but it has not stopped," he said thoughtfully. "What do you think?"

"It is pitiful," snarled Blacktail. "Resistance is a tragic mistake, born out of deluded desperation… the illusion that a feeble resistance will somehow earn our sympathy and prompt our sparing their lives. We are servants of the Thrones of Darkness, of Lord Isley, Lady Priscilla and Lord Rigardo. The eminent Thrones will not tolerate disobedience. The way of things is quite simple."

The very first Number One in history, Isley was an ancient Awakened Being that had survived multiple wars, cataclysms, and rivalries. Among these was the Abyssal War that left only three Dwellers of the Deep as the dominant powers of the Continent, epic duels with the Awakened Beings Rigardo and Priscilla, and the complete conquest of the Continent. He set foot in the Middle Kingdom long ago, deceiving an entire nation and even the Hero of Chaos by disguising himself as a fugitive from another nation. But his true objective was to retrieve a sample of the legendary Lu Bu's flesh. His insidious presence had remained undetected even by the Emperor's agents. After his preliminary schemes to deceive the Chinese, he now began the second stage of his plan: war. Crushing Miria's initial foray into Dunhuang, he moved onto Wu Zhang Plains rapidly and effortlessly defeated Galatea and her newfound allies, seizing the Central Plains and plunging all three Kingdoms into utter panic and mayhem. With the portal his minions constructed at Mogao, and at Sutafu on the Continent, there was no limit to the extent of his strength.

The full consequences of his conquest of the Continent would now be revealed. "I too, remember the age when I was once a Claymore," laughed Farrow, chattering his rodent teeth whilst his whip-like weapon beheaded a screaming trooper. "In a way, I must thank the Organization. It is they that opened my eyes, to a world that knows nought but pain and the survival of the strongest."

The Bloodstock began to feast on the Shu bodies whilst the Scuta charged, overwhelming the last line of defence. Farrow looked out into the crimson moon, sniffing the air. "The realm is heavy with the stench of its people's own blood. Clearly, they aren't fit for survival. On behalf of Isley, what do you say we clean up the rest of this human rabble?"

They had razed the Kingdom of Shu to the ground. Now, they would push north.

"The strong will fall. For they are no contenders to the might of Lord Isley, overseer of the Thrones." Blacktail grinned, his hand stroking his tusk. "Let us put an end to this pathetic and futile resistance, once and for all."

*

The tears wouldn't stop. They wouldn't cease, not even after she had rubbed her eyes until they were sore from the abrasion her knuckles inflicted. Even the blankets could not stope the flow of longing and desire that poured from her silver pools. Flora gazed up into Cao Pi's cold eyes. They reflected her tearful countenance, although they did not return with any empathetic shine. She turned away. "You enjoy my listlessness, do you not?"

"Not particularly."

"What do you enjoy, then?" She waited for his reply, but he merely grinned. She closed her eyes in hurt. "But you don't love me. I miss the man that loved me. I wish to return his affection, his comfort. I miss my Zilong, Cao Pi."

He wrapped his arms around her, and she struggled briefly. "Sometimes the loveliest things are the most painful. Let the emotion seep into you, Flora. Let your sense of abandonment bring strength to your hatred and lust for revenge. Only then will you experience the most exquisite empowerment." His tongue found her cheek, her barely dried tears. "Believe me, flower. It is your salty grief that tastes the best to me. Eventually, even you must overcome yourself if you are to match me."

His hand roughly tore at her brassiere, with no hint of any tenderness or affection. He forced apart her legs even as her fist struck his jaw. Despite the nasty bruising and the sore bone, he did not relent. Another punch, and then a desperate slap. Again. Again. None of it made a difference. The back of her pressed against the mattress as the prince came down upon her, his cold countenance wild with sadism.

But his will to hurt her, to her astonishment, matched her will to life.

He released her, and flung her back onto her bed roughly. She whimpered. He did not listen. He whipped her and beat, her, again and again, until her screams echoed through the imperial corridors. As she flayed wildly, jerking back from the sting, from the pain, he descended upon her and clutched her to him, possessing her without warning, without care. She fell into a tearful silence as she looked back at him, meeting his unfeeling eyes. Coolly, he began to move within her, and she could only choke and gasp as she felt herself reduced to a piece of attractive meat as he feasted his inhumanity on her soft, pale, vulnerability.

"I will have you, again and again, until you break unto slavery under my authority."

*

It tasted bitter. It tasted of humiliation, of degradation and sensual, decadent indifference. It stripped her of all dignity, of all her pride as a warrior as inescapably as his hands had torn off her garments. After the deed was done, he released his tight grasp on her hair, flinging her back onto her bed. She lay, her eyes half-closed, her drenched face against the satin cushion as he rose, his lean, powerful, naked body reaching for the clasp by the bedside. He did not speak for several moments, savouring the gratification he had attained through subjugating her. He closed his eyes in arrogant triumph. "Clean yourself up. I'm going to take you to a new division of troops you shall command in China's name."

"How can your father look at you and not die of shame?" she mumbled.

Cao Pi shrugged. He took his white cape in his hand as he had dressed himself. "My father is my father. I am me. Perhaps you will someday understand that and save yourself more unexpected surprises."

He made his way towards the door. "I expect you to be ready in fifteen minutes."

Dripping wet and her heart curling in disgrace, Flora looked down at the silken blankets as he strode out of her bedroom.

*

It felt peculiar, sharing a banquet with a lifelong archenemy.

Granted, Cynthia and Zhou Tai had never actually met Cao Cao in person. To them, he had always remained a shadowy, ineffable figure of omnipresence that communicated his will through powerful emissaries such as Rafaela, Miata or Galatea. Upon seeing him for the first time within the dungeon in Stonekeep, the first thought that forced itself into Cynthia's mind was not how demonic his visage seemed, nor how lavish his garments or cape looked. No, it was a slightly less awe-inspired thought.

_For such a powerful man… he's not particularly big. I mean, Tai _towers_ over him_!

Thankfully, she had not blurted out her comment aloud, for the couple had been cordially invited to attend a banquet, as a gesture of hospitality and respect from their former foe. To her astonishment, Cynthia discovered on Zhang Liao's word that her comrades, like her, had survived the onslaught at Wu Zhang Plains. It was no less astonishing that she had survived her dire injuries, even with the help of Cao Pi and his forces. But why had the Wei forces gone so far as to save them? Had they been reduced to hostages?

_Do they plan to force us to fight for them?_

_What should I say_?

"Cynthia. Zhou Tai." Cao Cao's voice broke into her thoughts, and she jumped nervously.

"Do not hold back. Everything on this table is yours to sample and savour. I was informed that you only recently united in wedlock. This banquet is a toast to that." She looked down at her meal, avoiding the Premier's gaze as Zhou Tai politely partook in the food offered. She took up her bowl of mushroom soup and quietly sipped at it. It was admittedly delicious, and even Claymores like her felt famished after spending so much time underground, living on essentially nothing during her coma.

"Is it to your taste?" asked Cao Cao, his voice void of sarcasm. He chewed quietly on a slice of duck, watching her closely from across the table.

"It is… thank you," replied Cynthia nervously. Radiant in her crimson dress and allowing her hair to hang loose (she thought it more mature of her), she glanced at her husband, who sat beside her uneasily. Even his black _Han gentleman's_ suit did not conceal the suspicion and distrust his body language expressed. Their apparent saviour, the Hero of Chaos, had seemed reluctant to explain his reasons for such generosity until they departed from Luoyang's underground city. Nor did he clarify why they had suddenly ceased to be apparent enemies at all.

It was obvious that this was bothering the Wu admiral with each passing minute.

Finishing his piece of chicken, he set aside his chopsticks and cleared his throat. While he had also suffered from malnourishment, he did not feel at ease, not when his King's nemesis was treating them to an evening feast. "I demand an explanation, Cao Cao. Just why have you brought my wife and I here? And what do you intend to do with us?" he finally asked. His eyes narrowed. "If you intend to use us for ransom, do not hope it will work. I thank you for sparing Cynthia's life, but should you do anything beyond preserving her life, I will fight back."

Cao Cao's face was sombre. "There shall be no need for anything like that. There is no merit in our contest any longer… that is, between your Kingdom and mine."

"What do you mean?"

"The two of you must know that Wu is on the verge of obliteration, if not already destroyed."

Cynthia gasped, and Zhou Tai almost instantaneously stood, rocking the table and flinging his cup of hot tea to the floor.

_Wu… defeated? _

_How could we have slept all this time? Why did he not stir us_?

"And you expect us to be feasting away our time whilst my King… whilst Master Sun Quan… falls before the monsters that almost slew my wife?" snarled Zhou Tai, his voice simmering with an extraordinary fire. "Why have you done this to us?"

"Sun Quan is already dead, slain by Rigardo's forces." Cao Cao did not flinch from Zhou Tai's burning eyes. "He died three weeks ago, along with Gan Ning, Cheng Pu, and Ling Tong."

"How dare you," roared the admiral. "I could have fought on if given the chance. Did you capture us so that we would have no chance to return to Jiangdong?"

The other shook his head. "No. Wu's army and navy were defeated many weeks ago. Their remnants are now stationed at He Fei, where they are regaining some measure of fighting capability."

Cynthia found it difficult to believe. "You are giving our troops shelter?"

"My forces have taken up the war in southern China, holding back the Awakened army as they attempt to drive towards the north. So far, efforts have been met with mixed results – "

"I do not believe you. Our defeat at Wu Zhang Plains surely would have warranted a direct assault on Xuchang rather than Jianye," insisted Zhou Tai.

"Isley understands that to launch a three-pronged attack from Chengdu, Hanzhong and Jianye is the most assured way of destroying me. As a result, he set his sights on Shu as well as Wu. It is no more, its capital razed to nothingness by the monster called Priscilla." Cao Cao grimaced. "Do you see now? Prior to your stirring from the dungeons in Stonekeep, the Wei Kingdom was all that stood in the way of Isley's final conquest of China. But with your survival no longer an impossibility, as it would have been if I did not send reinforcements to rescue you at Wu Zhang, we are in a position to crush Isley together."

Zhou Tai's already tense hands clenched into enraged fists. "I care not. I have given my life to protect the people of Jiangdong. I would rather die for Wu than serve the Wei Kingdom. Why should I cravenly join your side simply because it has claimed the dubious honour of victory?"

"Because you are a silver-eyed warrior. And the only hope that China rests on is the unity of all silver-eyed warriors in what is no longer the Kingdom of Wei, but the Jin Alliance. In that sense, there is no Wei faction for you to tussle against in the first place. I could not allow you two – the strongest warriors of Wu – to waste your then-fragile lives fighting for a Kingdom that could not be saved. All that remains of China are the few survivors of Chengdu and Jianye, and our bastion here, in northern and central China."

He nodded. "It is time, my love."

From behind the drapes emerged a tall, willowy blonde, her black, noblewoman's coat brushing her calves as she slowly moved to stand in plain sight of Cynthia and Zhou Tai. She placed two hands affectionately on Cao Cao's shoulders, squeezing them while she positioned herself behind his chair. Cynthia put a hand to her mouth and Zhou Tai resisted the urge to rub his eyes, for it was as if he was repeatedly seeing apparitions… ghosts back from the dead.

"Hello, there," she initiated, breaking into a gentle smile. "I'm glad you two are well. And I mean that."

"Lady Galatea," murmured Zhou Tai, stupefied.

"You sound disappointed," said the governess, mockingly crestfallen.

"You really are alive," whispered Cynthia. "Senior…"

Galatea nodded. "You look in good health. But eat more. Your body is a treacherous thing, especially after a month of involuntary fasting. I echo Wenyuan's apology – that we were forced to bind you in chains in the event of the… unpleasant neurological accident of Awakening."

Cynthia's face broke into a nervous smile.

"I thank the gods for your survival. But I cannot understand how such a feat could be managed with our situation on the Central Plains," said Zhou Tai.

"Nothing is impossible," replied Galatea coolly, massaging her husband's shoulders with a lazy grace only she could achieve. "I'm dreadfully happy that we are able to meet again here as opposed to a crematorium, but state matters must first be attended to. Let us move on to our main course of business while you enjoy dinner." Her eyes twinkled. "From your slack-jawed faces, I assume the two of you know of this nation's current… predicament? We are indeed in a grave spot. But opportunity may yet arise to counter the threat of Isley and the looming shadow of Lu Bu."

Almost instantly, the stupefied mood of reunion transmuted into a grimmer atmosphere. "How can we stop an Abyssal Dweller with such advantages like the portal at Mogao?" cried Cynthia. "Galatea, you know what happened to us a month before. They were too strong. They tore through us like wet cloth! The risk is just too – "

Galatea nodded in agreement. "That is why you and Master Zhou Tai must join the second phase of my Lord's ambition. We must organize an unprecedented field army, the likes of which has never been seen in China, to march to Kumtag Desert and attack the Mogao Caves directly. Only by seizing the Mogao Caves, Dunhuang and the Kumtag Desert will we stand a chance of stemming the Continental invasion permanently. This is the cornerstone of our offensive against the Yoma. All other endeavours to liberate the cities occupied or destroyed by our enemy are secondary. China's hope lies in the desert; in a Buddhist sanctuary tainted by wickedness."

"What of Lady Huang Yue Ying? If she is safe…" said Zhou Tai warily.

"With her considerable expertise and experience, she will obviously retain the supreme commander's position of Grand General. Furthermore, she is developing a weapon of unmatched strength that shall be of particular use against Awakened Beings. For that reason, she will be departing for the oldest mountain of this world, Mount Imeon, to begin the facility's construction."

"Mount Imeon? That location does not sound Chinese," whispered Cynthia. "Have you decided to take the war beyond even the Middle Kingdom's borders?"

"Girl, you have no idea," said Galatea.

"You are making use of her inventions," accused Zhou Tai in realization.

"You're a sharp one, aren't you? Youping. Indeed, we are… although she has little choice – if we are to save China, we must act together. And the construction of the Abyssal Fusion Missile will play a major part in silencing the horrid screams of Yoma throughout this realm forever." She paused. "Is this not a monumental feat? We need your help in the campaigns we are undertaking to wrest back control of this nation."

Cynthia could only gasp in amazement at the scope of Galatea's plans.

"That is… certainly very ambitious, milady," admitted Zhou Tai quietly. "But my intuition tells me that you have not told me everything."

Galatea smiled and released her husband's shoulders. She moved to make her way beyond the veil, out of the banquet room. "I know this must be rather unsettling for the two of you. Mengde and I will allow you two to mull over the circumstances. Perhaps then you won't be reeling so badly from the inundation of information we've forced onto you."

Cynthia nodded vehemently. "You're right," she mumbled in embarrassment. "I really… I really don't know what to do. Please… all we ask for is some time."

Cao Cao rose from his seat and turned to follow Galatea. "Very well. I shall hear your response in my Throneroom. But know this, if nothing else: the world has changed. There is nothing you can do to reverse that. The only sensible path to walk in light of this change…"

He closed his eyes. "Is to change with it. Good evening to you, Zhou Tai. Rest well, Cynthia."

And with that, he disappeared behind the drapes, leaving Cynthia and Zhou Tai to muse on his words over an unfinished, troubled banquet.


	5. The End of the Three Kingdoms

**The End of the Three Kingdoms**

Garbed in nothing but her nightclothes after a night of tender slumber, Cynthia kneeled before a delectably naked Zhou Tai, her hands holding his as he sat at the edge of their bed, gazing thoughtfully down whilst she beamed up at him. After a week recovering together, the couple no longer experienced the same discomfiture they had felt after leaving the dungeon they had been imprisoned in. But the revelations of Galatea had only just begun to sink in. They amounted to nothing less than that the beleaguered world was in dire peril.

The Kingdom of Shu had fallen, and the allies had not completed recuperating from the disastrous defeat they suffered at Wu Zhang. Sun Quan and his men had fallen in Jianye at Rigardo's hands, and there was nowhere for her and her husband to flee to. It was truly a new world – a new world in which there was no Shu, Wu, or even Wei. Cao Cao had said so himself. Galatea had been telling the truth all along. The man truly did not care for his own empire – at least, it seemed so. He claimed he wished to inaugurate a so-called Jin Alliance, a military powerful enough to resist Isley's relentless, global invasion: in other words, he had reached the second stage of his ambition after succeeding in bringing the Claymores together.

Cynthia paused thoughtfully, looking into her half-Yoma husband's eyes, full of brooding lustre.

What did he think? What did he think of the tragedy that was Wu's destruction?

So many questions still remained unanswered. But for now, she was content enough to know that Zhou Tai still stood by her side.

"You do not need to worry for me like this," she piped up, stroking his lap fondly. "You must admit, brave and gentle warrior – Galatea and Cao Cao have lived up to their words. It's somewhat jarring… to find ourselves in their care. And the realization that Wei is a non-entity…"

"It is admittedly difficult to believe that they intend to protect us and the interests of Wu's survivors, especially after all the conflicts that have passed between us. But you, Cynthia… you have not allowed the boundaries of Kingdoms to limit the boundaries of your trust."

She blushed. "I'm sorry, my Lord. I must seem so disloyal and unfaithful. Truth be told, I have only your happiness and wellbeing in mind. Compared to that, not even the Kingdom of Wu matters."

"I am that important?"

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, you are."

Her hand moved to her stomach fondly, and she looked back up at him. She wondered if he ever thought of the marvel that only a woman's intuition could understand. Perhaps he had not believed anything could have emerged unscathed from the Battle of Wu Zhang Plains, but he had proven himself incorrect with his endurance and survival. His artlessness was something that had always endeared him to her. But she could not keep the shroud of ignorance around his eyes any longer. It was time.

It was time to confess to him of her unborn child.

How could it have happened? The Organization had repeatedly told her, indoctrinated her with the lifelong mantra of ultimate despair and indignity – that women of silver eyes could never experience the excitement and agonizing fulfillment of childbirth, of bringing life into the beautiful world. Cynthia herself had not noticed any change in her physiology since her first consummation with her beloved. Surely there couldn't have been. Nothing had changed in these four years at all –

But could… _he_ have changed?

What had happened to him that night at the Red Cliffs… when he lost half his humanity… to give him the power to impregnate even the most barren of women – the Claymores of the Continent?

It seemed miraculous, ludicrously miraculous. What had Zhuge Liang done? Surely he should have become a sterile eunuch, a man whose seed would be incapable of any notable feat – but instead… he had _gained_ in potency?

What was her husband becoming?

She knew only this: prior to their journey to northern China to join with their then-Shu allies against the then-Wei army, her Lord had lovingly trusted her with raising his miraculous seed, the seed that would grow into the human union of a Chinese and Continental Claymore. But that legacy had to be protected. The life within had survived the trauma she suffered at Wu Zhang, but only the gods knew what harm could come to her next. Furthermore, the union of two half-Yoma made it almost certain that their child would be only half-human. He – or she – would desperately need all the love and affection and support she and Zhou Tai could offer.

"My beloved Tai," she whispered nervously, pressing two fingers together as she stared at the ground.

Zhou Tai smiled affectionately. "Yes?"

"I know this isn't exactly the best time, what with the world about to be overrun by Awakened Beings…" She smiled nervously. "But I think you're going to be a father."

Zhou Tai's smile faltered momentarily, as if she had said something incoherent and incomprehensible. "A father?" he clarified, not quite understanding what he had just heard from his wife's lips.

"A father," affirmed Cynthia.

Zhou Tai fell silent.

Cynthia blushed, the volume of her voice lowering dramatically. She glanced around, despite having closed their door just earlier. "I'm sorry I had to tell you like this," she squeaked. "But we've had so little opportunity to keep to ourselves thus far…"

"I… a father? But that is impossible," he protested, his voice a murmur.

"It is a miracle," said Cynthia almost inaudibly. "It is a miracle… that what happened to you on that night at the Red Cliffs… made you a stronger _man_."

He shook his head slowly, awestruck. How could it be? Was that what she had intended to tell him that night, on those accursed hours of the early morning that saw their calamitous defeat at Rigardo's hands? "But why did you not say it then – "

"I… I had hoped to. But…" She reached up for him, eyes shining. "I could not bring myself to put such a burden on you then. I thought my death was inevitable." She let out a whimper. "I didn't think I could ever see you again."

He closed his eyes, as if she had stabbed Duskstrike into his heart.

"Please, say something, my Lord," entreated Cynthia, anxiety leaping into her throat. "Why do you look so upset? Please, don't let it be because of the baby. I need you; I need your support. My love?"

Zhou Tai choked out a reassurance, but it was weak and unconvincing. He held her hands tighter, self-doubt and self-loathing overcoming him even as she began to sniffle with emotion. His two clashes against Rigardo had been nothing less than absolute disasters – the first degenerated into a desperate struggle to hold back his Awakening at He Fei, and the second was a miserable failure to protect the woman he loved. He almost could not care that he was now to serve under Cao Cao. Only two things plagued his mind: the murder of his Lord, Sun Quan at Rigardo's hands, and his inability to protect her.

"Tell me what is stirring in your heart. I demand it."

He trembled slightly as her entreaty. He was not good enough. He was not strong enough. Why did she depend on him for a task of such magnitude? He would surely fail…

But he could not falter. Not now. Not when they had veritably returned from the dead to find each other's embrace. That realization temporarily propelled him out of the murky mire of his uncertainty and insecurity, and Cynthia blinked as his face suddenly cleared. He moved to guide his wife onto his lap. "Come here, my love," he whispered, urging her to cease her kneeling.

She complied, rising and nestling into his cuddle. Her tears gradually stopped as she gazed at him hopefully. And when he finally spoke of her future life as a mother, he did not disappoint.

"We have always been a family. Nothing will change. Child or no, I will love you as I always have."

"My Lord," whispered Cynthia.

Another tear slipped down her face, but this time it was not one of anxiety, but one of joy and gratitude.

*

_Luoyang Palace East Wing_

"I see you refuse to bow before me. I expected so much of you, proud warriors," said a bewitching Galatea. As the new Governess of China, the senior Claymore was expectedly regal, queenly, and infinitely beautiful. She stood a step above the Shu-Wu warriors, beside the throne on which she was supposed to sit as the supreme caretaker of the Middle Kingdom. "How long are you going to let your obstinacy get the better of you? So I killed your King. Leave that grudge behind and join us in the war against Isley before it's too late."

Yue Ying gritted her teeth at her jabbing taunt, but Zhou Tai ignored it. "We refuse not out of disdain or scorn, but out of a desire to know of your plans for us. Once we know, we can make a decision. We can choose either submission… or resistance," he replied grimly.

"I will not repeat myself. You are refusing out of pride, something unbefitting a warrior. Your reasons are simply meaningless. But I suppose that figures. I have heard of your pirate origins." Galatea smiled at the nervous Cynthia, who stood beside her husband in the convocation chamber, waiting for what was expected to be a most emotional reunion. The messenger's memo was straightforward: Yue Ying and Flora had made full recoveries and were to attend a private assembly with Galatea, along with the warriors of the vanquished Wu state. Cynthia glanced nervously ahead. Galatea's husband, the feared Cao Cao, had not arrived yet.

_So far, so good_, observed Cynthia to herself. Ever since the confession of her pregnancy, her stomach had already felt slightly larger, but she was confident that she was only suffering from the jitters. Zhou Tai seemed completely composed, as per his usual self, but she knew better. She somewhat regretted dropping such a shocking bombshell on him after having awoken to a world without Wu or Sun Quan. The more she reflected on what she had said, and how she had begged for his support, the more she began to resent herself for having piled her fears and hopes on him with only a passing consideration of his pain, of his confusion.

_You're a callous woman, Cynthia. Couldn't you have put it to him more easily? My God, what might he be thinking now? You'll have to make this up to him_.

The silent sentry at the convocation chamber's entrance suddenly saluted. "Announcing the former Marquess of Shu, Flora, and the former Grand General of Shu, Yue Ying!" Cynthia jumped at the voice, and stood at attention along with her husband. Zhou Tai remained emotionless, although his heart was also pounding. Their allies, cared for and tended to by the wardens of Wei, were here. At last, they would meet once again. An indescribable tension filled the air, neither hostile nor joyful.

Galatea's face relaxed further as two feminine forms slowly walked past the wooden doors to the chamber. She kept quiet, allowing the allied comrades to regain their bearing. Surely it was as if they were meeting strangers. It had only been a month, but already a profound change had overtaken the two women that stepped onto the patterned rug of the palace floor – Flora's eyes seemed tired, exhausted from nights spent crying into her cushions, and Yue Ying looked somewhat jaded, her smile tinged with a bittersweet irony ever since she had submitted to a new master. Nevertheless, they were instantly recognizable – from Flora's azure, flowing clothes and silver armour, to Yue Ying's auburn hair, bindi, and elegant green and white chemise. Four pairs of eyes met, and a world of agony, love, celebration, fury, and desperation opened up before them.

"Hello, Cynthia. Hello, Master Zhou," said Flora, her voice breaking in relief.

Cynthia ran towards Flora and hurled herself into her arms. Galatea's smile broadened. For once, she did not mind remaining out of the spotlight as her four enemies-turned-comrades at Wu Zhang Plains reunited in a whirl of quick tears and quiet, stuttering words. "Cao Pi told me of the situation in Shu and Wu," murmured Flora. "I am… sorry for you and Lord Zhou Tai, sweet Cynthia."

"Marquess Flora… Lady Huang. I thank the gods that you are well," whispered Cynthia, clutching Flora to her. She quickly released her silver-eyed comrade and bowed profusely before Yue Ying. The Chinese woman hastily guided her back up with two hands. Her fingers brushed by her cheeks tenderly. "We will not forgive the monsters that have done this to our people. We must avenge those whose trust we have betrayed through our failure."

"It is a miracle that you are alive. I had thought we had met our doom on the plains of central China," said Yue Ying, looking up and smiling at Zhou Tai, who nodded in thankful acknowledgment. The Yoma-man bowed low at the waist before Flora, who blushed and returned his deference. "Have you two been coping well? Finding ourselves here…" Yue Ying looked around the once-Wei palace pillars and walls. "Finding ourselves here was terrible at worst, and even now, I still feel as if I'm in some kind of hell. Avici, perhaps?"

"Somehow, we have managed. But I cannot say the same for the Chinese nation. The Strossi still roam free. How can we stop them? Their power is simply too great." Cynthia stared up into Yue Ying's maternal eyes. "Isley… if he could trounce us so easily, what will he do to the rest of…"

"He is nothing but a rabid, overgrown mule rampaging across the world," boomed Cao Cao's voice. "His so-called strength cannot hold a candle to my ambition." He emerged from behind the drapes, standing beside Governess Galatea. "The time has come to act. We cannot stand idly by and allow Isley to break past our strained defences. The Emperor must be… persuaded… to bless the Jin Alliance."

"You're rather confident that we will join you," muttered Zhou Tai. "But as grateful as we are, we must be convinced further of your fidelity."

Cao Cao smiled, as if he had expected resistance all along. "You have pride, and you are guided by your feelings of honour. I admire a warrior's self-respect, and feelings are what make life worth living. But be warned. Left unchecked, they will engulf you and cloud your sight of what the future can offer. Blinded by the night of the past, you will miss the coming of the tender dawn."

Slowly, munificently, he extended a gloved hand towards the couple. "Join me," he proposed simply, looking directly at Cynthia. "Join me, and you shall never lose a home again. I will protect you, as I do my own family… for my officers _are_ family."

Zhou Tai looked hesitant, but Cynthia did not share his uncertainty.

"Is that a promise? Is that an oath?" she asked. She looked at him, this time quite fearlessly, into his dark brown eyes. "That our family will be safe in your care?"

"You have my word," replied Cao Cao. "Your entire family will enjoy the service of my personal Royal Guard. Starting tonight." He smiled. "No. Starting now."

Her eyes momentarily widened. _He does not know that we of the silver eyes are not… supposed… to be able to give birth_.

_All that matters to me now… is that my child will not be hurt. I will give him the protection she needs – and I don't care who gives me that protection_.

Torn and unconfident, Zhou Tai looked at her, and while she did not nod, the understanding between them was mutual. The Premier swore to shelter her husband… and although he did not know it yet, her unborn baby, as well.

How could she refuse?

_Tai… this is for you, and our shy little angel_. Cynthia lowered herself and kneeled before the Premier and the Governess. Her strength suddenly seemed amplified. "Then I pledge myself to your service," said the pregnant woman, "and trust in the integrity of your promise."

Breaking his silence, Zhou Tai's silver irises clouded over. "Cynthia, no…"

She glanced behind her briefly, and her eyes shone with an astonishing love. "This is for the best, baby Tai. Don't worry. I will let nothing come to harm you."

"Your ambition had better be worth our allegiance, Cao Cao." Yue Ying stepped forward, along with Flora. "I refuse to engage in your style of warfare, although I would prefer to call it _treacherous butchery_. So do not expect your armies to function the same way while I am Supreme Commander. I will fight this war my own way." The two women gazed at the man, still reluctant to abandon their defiance entirely. But they had pledged to crush the Awakened Beings alongside Cao Cao even before Cynthia and Zhou Tai rose from their coma, and this final reunion between the warriors that were first to look upon yellow eyes was prelude to a new fashion of warfare.

A war waged by enemies-turned-allies.

Flora nodded in agreement with Yue Ying. "I will lay aside my opinion of your son and hold you in a different light. I know better than to hate a man who desires an end to the bloodshed in his nation. I trust you, former King of Wei. But know that if you break that trust, you shall not regain it."

Cao Cao blinked in slight surprise, before allowing himself a chuckle. "That is also what Galatea warned me, when she first met me. I assure you that the future I see is clear. And I will need what _you_ can offer the land. Every portion is essential, every individual, necessary."

"You make us sound like mannequins to be pulled and discarded at your bidding, like a showman seeking to please some riffraff crowd," insisted Yue Ying.

"That 'riffraff' crowd you speak of consists of nothing less than the people of China. You would do well to remember that it is they whom you are fighting for. If nothing else, surrender to the Emperor alone, and not to me. That is also sufficient."

"You are the Prime Minister," snapped Yue Ying. "Even a child knows you have made His Majesty a puppet figurehead. Don't play us for fools."

"My apologies. I've forgotten that it is quite impossible to satisfy women." And with that scornful insult, Cao Cao swept out his hand dismissively, signalling an end to the argument. Yue Ying glared at him and slowly kneeled. There was no other way out of this. Flora followed, and Cynthia and Zhou Tai genuflected in tandem. "The five of you, China's greatest heroes, have allied your strength with mine. With Shu and Wu's demise and the exodus of their people into my land, the era of the Three Kingdoms has definitively come to an end." His face was meditative. "The realm, long divided, must unite. And it has done so this day. "Marquess Flora. Supreme Commander Yue Ying. Admiral Zhou Tai. Herald General Cynthia. You all form the centre, the axis of the Jin Alliance's army. I need your strength. I need your talents, your capabilities. And then… you will prove to the Awakened hordes the indomitability of the human spirit."

"If it is in the interests of protecting the Chinese people and those that you have granted asylum to, then I will gladly accept, Your Excellency," said Cynthia quickly.

Cao Cao smiled in elation. "Good. Well met." His eyes alight, he walked over and smiled down at her bowed head. He exhaled heavily as he raised his ornate Sword of Heaven. "The spirit of a warrior is strong within you. You shall become a mighty servant of mine, indeed." Cynthia closed her eyes as the flat of his blade gently tapped her shoulder. She heard his voice boom out across the convocation room.

"Arise… China's new Herald General."

Flora could not help looking at the Herald General admiringly as Cynthia rose, looking at Zhou Tai in embarrassment. The conflicted man felt, to his own chagrin, quite proud as well.

"Our first task is to ensure all refugees pouring in from the western and southern borders are sheltered appropriately," said Cao Cao. "I will arrange a magnificent ceremony for my new commanders… and you will be treated to the finest Shu and Wu dancers and musicians, as a token of my trust and hospitality. You must be present, so we may inaugurate the Jin Alliance and bring my ambition to fruition."

Galatea stepped forward to stand beside her husband. "Allow me to enlighten you on the theatres of war you and many others shall participate in. There will be several major fronts that require securing," she said. "You already understand that you must depart for Mount Imeon in several weeks, Yue Ying. The Cosmodrome will begin construction under your supervision, and our alchemists require your expertise with the bladed bow's armaments." Her eyes gleamed. "Like a game of chess, we must outmanoeuvre Isley to a checkmate. The Silk Road will serve as a lifeline of supplies and troops to Mount Imeon. We must hold that route at all costs so that the Awakened Beings are powerless to stop the weapons from Mount Imeon."

"In this battle, Lady Galatea, you have sixteen pieces and the centaur demon has sixteen thousand."

"I have sixteen million," said Galatea. "I have every fluttering heart in this nation and beyond. But the most important front, our destiny, shall be that of Kumtag Desert. Even as we speak, our Dune Troopers are amassing for an all-out assault on what can be loosely called the central command of Isley's forces. We must break through the endless sands and into the Dunhuang Oasis, where the Mogao Caves stand. A determined charge into the grottoes will no doubt cost thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of lives. But our imperative task is to root out the portal within the labyrinths, and shatter it into dust." She paused. "Only then will we even stand a chance of excising Isley and Priscilla's presence from this realm. Even then, the unknown factor of Lu Bu remains an omnipresent possibility."

"And what of the cities?" clarified Yue Ying uneasily.

"They will almost certainly come under attack. Already Chengdu and Jianye are in desperate need of liberating. We would be foolish not to expect an enemy invasion against Chang'an, He Fei, Hanzhong, and even Xuchang or Luoyang. But should Luoyang fall, the hopes of the entire nation would be extinguished.

"Furthermore, destroying the portal in China will only dispose of the symptoms, not the disease, for as long as the gateway on the Continent continues to exist, Yoma can continue to invade other worlds. Which is why we must take the fight to the enemy. We must penetrate into the Mogao Caves and reach the portal. But before we destroy it, we shall commission an elite strike force of Chinese and Continental warriors to enter the portal … and travel out through its counterpart to emerge amidst the ruins of Sutafu." She nodded. "Yes. My husband and I have decided that there is no other way to eradicate this cancer. We must conquer the Continent, which was conquered by the Awakened Beings four years ago. We must send an expeditionary force into the portal."

A shocked silence forced itself into the convocation chamber. Yue Ying looked at Zhou Tai in bafflement.

Flora stepped forward, staring into Galatea's eyes. "You did not tell us of this? You are planning an assault on our very homeland?" she cried.

"Preposterous," blurted Yue Ying.

"But necessary," pointed out Galatea.

"A direct attack against the Continent surely would prove suicidal," protested Cynthia nervously. "There is no hope of salvaging it from the hands of the Awakened Beings…"

"I would know, sisters. Do you not remember that I was the first of our kind to be assigned to the Middle Kingdom? Ermita's concern for our… compromised careers… was pivotal in sending the warriors of our cohort to this final bastion capable of standing against Isley. The objective is to destroy the Continent's portal, so that not only China is freed from the hordes, but all other worlds, as well."

"It is a suicide mission… an assignment that they can never survive," said Flora. Revelation after revelation… it seemed all too much for her. "I know not how you could possibly succeed against the guardians of Sutafu and beyond. They are the very reason why we fled the Continent!"

"This is the only way to end the chaos," replied Cao Cao. "For that greater purpose, we must put a swift and expedient end to this calamitous war. We must sever the lifeline of Isley. We must break the source of their power."

Galatea smiled. "This mission, this so-called Sundering, might sound foolish and desperate. Even a grand alliance such as ours is not certain to keep the territory we've managed to cling on to. But worry not. The four of you will remain stationed in China, for she needs your strength. Instead, a select division of powerful warriors will be making the foray into Sutafu once we breach the Mogao Caves' defences – Alicia, Beth, and Xu Huang among them."

"Surely you require more than three powerful warriors to defeat the Awakened Beings amassed on the other side of Sutafu portal," insisted Yue Ying.

"Of course, Supreme Commander. In fact, two of them are already en route to a scouting mission at Kumtag Desert, searching for a… lost comrade… that, if found and rescued, will also join the Sunderers in their mission."

"Who – "

"So many questions," smirked Galatea, and her Lord smirked along with her. "Just be patient and wait, sisters. I guarantee it will be of great interest to all of you."

*

_Many li away_

Along the venerable Silk Road, a cloaked woman slowly lifted her hood from her head, revealing a ruffled mop of brown hair. Holding her hand was a younger female in a swathe of Arab garments of matching size, although even the turban was not enough to conceal her abnormally long blonde hair. Claymore swords were attached to the backs of their outfits, giving away their affiliation quite noticeably.

"Mama," mumbled the small, manic-eyed girl.

"Keep a sharp lookout, little Miata," urged the beautiful brunette. She glanced around, and allowed herself a breath of pristine, desert air.

"So I am walking the path Miria and her team trod… before they were defeated," murmured Clarice.


	6. The Jin Alliance

**The Jin Alliance**

"What does he think he is doing? That damn traitor."

"That fiendish conspirator."

"Indeed. That insolent scum."

"Vile, loathsome villain."

Sitting uncomfortably at the edge of his throne, Emperor Xian listened to the hateful ramblings of the court's eunuchs, their high-pitched voices drowning out any of what he had to say. The Imperial Court had degenerated, ever since his ascension, into little more than a mob of greedy men talented only in deceit, speaking only in lies, and in love with nepotism. Only several men had remained above the pettiness and the backhanded murders and illegitimate power struggles. Xian's guardian, Cao Cao, was one of them.

But now, the Emperor's guardians plotted even the Premier's assassination.

"His defiance can no longer be tolerated," hissed one of the eunuchs. "He is a dangerous man, a threat to the very stability of the Court!"

"We cannot allow him to run around unchecked any longer. He dared to exercise authority in the name of His Imperial Majesty on the excuse that he possessed the royal chop of authority! What of the disasters at Wu Zhang Plains and at Jieting? The Awakened Beings tore through our armies like silk and we lost so many of our esteemed commanders – Master Deng Ai, Master Zhong Hui, and Grand Marshal, Cao Ren! Cao Cao was responsible for both farces. But we still allow him to command _us_, to abuse his power so flippantly? No more!"

"Enough is enough!" cried another. "Your Majesty! We shall deal with this rogue for you, now and forever!"

"But he has protected us from the Awakened Beings for as long as he has." Xian shook his head in protest. While he was well aware of the fact that Cao Cao had rendered him a titular ruler, at least he seemed to be the only individual capable of reunifying the empire. The young sovereign had retained his life and his comfort these few years because of Cao Cao's care. But such was the impassioned hatred of the ministers that there was no place for dialogue. And he could not control either of them… the Cao faction nor the eunuchs.

_I… I am weak. If only I was strong enough to stand on the shoulders of my forefathers_…

"We have summoned him here, Your Highness. He shall submit to us or be ground under our authority. It is as simple as that."

The head courtier rubbed his hands in anticipation. "We have decreed that he come alone. Without his precious bodyguards, we shall teach that weakling a lesson in obedience – "

"_Or perhaps_," boomed a deep voice, "it is not I who requires such a lesson."

The ministers and the Emperor gasped as Cao Cao glided into the room, emerging from behind the tinkling drapes that separated the convocation chamber from the palace exterior. His dark eyes glinted as he leisurely walked past the pillars and towards the throne. His phoenix cape swished behind him, and his minister's shoes tapped lightly on the carpet.

"Imperial Chancellor, you are under arrest on charges of high treason!" cried the head courtier. "Take him into custody."

Stepping forward, the guard standing at attention drew his weapon, but screamed as the terrifying edge of a large greatsword from the darkness cleanly sliced off his hand. His appendage landed mutely on the ground as he toppled forward in agony, only to be cut apart by a flurry of invisible blades.

The compatriots of the handless sentry faltered and began to back away, their eyes unsually wide.

"Not bad, Flora," sneered Cao Cao.

The ministers gasped at the name. "The legendary Wind… Windcutter?! Why… why is _she_ here?!"

"Think nothing of it, Your Excellency," said Flora quietly, sheathing Durandal as four more figures moved behind Cao Cao from the shroud. They slowly made their way into the light, staring intently at the Emperor and his eunuchs.

The silver eyes of Galatea.

The black and red armour of Zhou Tai.

The expressionless face of the young Cynthia.

The grim, tightly pressed lips of Yue Ying.

Cao Cao had completely flouted the courtiers' orders. It was as if he had never even received the edict. Instead of coming on bended knee as a snivelling sycophant in order to redeem himself, he had brought with him the finest warriors in all of China.

"What – what is the meaning of this?" cried a minister, backing away. "You dare to defy us?"

"What… what about the guards outside?" whimpered a younger attendant.

"Cynthia and I disposed of them," said Galatea casually. "After all, we do not serve castrated cowards like you. We serve the Hero of Chaos, and have aligned ourselves with his cause."

Flora raised her head, staring sharply ahead. "Please stand down," she urged loudly. "A bloodbath here is not necessary."

Cao Cao did not even bow as he made his way to confront the Emperor, sneering as the courtiers and eunuchs rushed to accost him. "What are you doing here, invading the Son of Heaven's dwelling with armoured guards and foreigners?" snarled the head courtier. "Have you gone completely insane?"

"Gentlemen, this is a coup d'état," declared Cao Cao matter-of-factly. "We have come at your request, but our intentions are not congruent with yours. We shall now strip away every illegitimate power that the eunuchs have seized by taking advantage of His Young Imperial Majesty, Emperor Xian." He glanced at the young man, the veritable boy that had been chosen to rule as a puppet figurehead. "As His Majesty's retainer, I am here to take him into permanent custody and to purge this city of every despicable eunuch." He waved his hand, and the five warriors behind him moved to position themselves. The servants gasped as Flora suddenly shifted into an aggressive stance. Galatea smoothly slid Euangelion from her scabbard, and Cynthia did the same with Excalibur. Zhou Tai stood at attention silently, and Yue Ying slowly raised a new model of the bladed bow, one that she had constructed for this very occasion.

The Emperor trembled. "Imperial Chancellor," he cried. "Your actions need not be so drastic. Surely we can talk this through – "

"You are a traitor to your own empire!" bellowed one of the eunuchs. "How dare you threaten us with terror and revolution!"

"You swagger as if you possess supreme authority in China," barked another minister, waving an imperious hand as he drew a sharp dagger from his pouch. "You have made a mockery of the imperial bloodline. That shall end today."

Cao Cao nodded in agreement. "I have indeed made a mockery of your hollow, miserable lives, and they shall certainly end today. Die knowing you have lived a meaningless existence, you non-men."

"Guards! Guards! Arrest him! Arrest Cao Cao!" roared the panicked eunuchs. But it was too late. They stared in terror as the nearest soldier gurgled and collapsed, his throat slit by Zhou Tai's sword. Another attempted to charge, but Cynthia's foot found his groin and he collapsed, clutching at his precious privates before his windpipe and spine were crushed underfoot by her high heel. "What… what are you doing?! Why are you lending your aid to him? Help! Help us!"

Cao Cao nodded at Galatea and advanced, protected by Flora and Yue Ying. A soldier tried to thrust his spear at his head, but Flora parried with Durandal and flung him aside. Yue Ying quickly turned and sent several deafening rounds into the fallen guard, silencing him forever. At the sight of this terrifying display, the courtiers screamed, scrabbling for a safe location to hide. But the sweeping nakedness of the Throneroom was hardly advantageous, and there was nothing that could possibly suffice for a temporary haven from the omnipresent silver eyes that stared at them.

Cao Cao did not relent, either. He grinned wolfishly as the head courtier raised his sword in desperation, visibly trembling.

"Have you no shame, betrayer of the Han?!" he bawled.

The Hero of Chaos gave a chilling, haunting laugh. "After living the entirety of your worthless life in the imperial court, you still have no idea of what I truly am?"

The leader of the courtiers turned to Xian desperately. "Come with me, Your Majesty! I will keep you safe from Cao Cao! I will hold off that wretched traitor – "

But before he could finish his entreaty, Yue Ying's shotgun blasted a round point-black into the side of his head, and it exploded in a miasma of gore and fleshly tissue.

"Sit down, Wei filth," she growled.

The dead man collapsed without further protest. Brains and cerebral fluids dyed the rug a deeper red as she advanced, coldly reloading her weapon and sending another eunuch crashing into the wall, his abdomen flayed open by another explosion from her petrifying new weapon. She bit her lip and aimed at the final courtier, who had scrambled and hid behind a large, ceramic vase. One blast was all it took to shatter the vase, along with the weak body of the minister.

The hall was suddenly silent. Zhou Tai flicked the blood off his sword and moved to take Cynthia's hand, which was shaking slightly. Flora looked at Yue Ying uneasily, who shrugged in resignation. "I almost feel filthy. This had better be worth it," muttered Yue Ying. "I'm not going to kill the Emperor's men unless they truly were a threat to His Majesty." She glared at the Prime Minister. "I am staggered to find that I actually trust your words."

"Watching you blast that meddlesome eunuch's head off was already worth everything," laughed Galatea, glancing mockingly at her husband. "Relax, sister. These men deserve to be punished for _defying_ Mengde so." She looked towards the dais, on which Cao Cao stood. Still seated on his throne, the Emperor stared up at the Premier, his lip quivering.

"What… what are your intentions, Prime Minister?" he whispered. "Just why have you come here to murder my attendants today?"

Amidst the bloody corpses of the guards and eunuchs, Cao Cao smiled. In a gesture of submission, he pressed his right fist against his open left palm, and slowly lowered himself to one knee. "I am merely serving and protecting Your Imperial Majesty, as I promised your late father I would," he said quietly, looking down at the floor deferentially.

"You… have never desired the glory of my throne, have you?" asked the Emperor, unable to stop shaking within the other's choking aura.

Somehow, Cao Cao seemed even more frightening in such a submissive position. "Your Majesty is entirely correct. I am but disposing of slanderers who would denounce me as a traitor when I am, in fact, realizing the highest ambition of every Chinese soul." He looked up into the young man's eyes. "Unless… you have other plans for me?"

Xian shook his head. "You… you only need to ensure my family is not harmed by anyone. Keep your end of our promise, and you may do anything you see fit."

"My humble gratitude to the Son of Heaven," whispered Cao Cao, lowering his head further. Galatea smirked knowingly as he spoke again. "Very well. In that case, allow me to inaugurate the Jin Alliance at once. We must move to destroy the Awakened Beings that threaten our empire – "

"_Damn you_!" shrieked a eunuch – the non-man that had been pinned against the wall by Yue Ying's projectile. He clutched at his dagger and in one last burst of surprising strength, threw it towards Cao Cao's head, before slumping into oblivion. The blade hurtled towards him, and the Premier's eyes widened, taken completely by surprise. Xian yelled in shock, and a frantic Galatea lunged to block the dagger's flight. Cynthia screamed out a terrified warning. But it had struck without any prior warning, and the tip of the dirk was already brushing at Cao Cao's eyelashes.

Yue Ying could hardly believe it. Cao Cao was finally about to be slain, but this was the first time that she wanted him to live. _Damn it_!

"No!" cried Flora.

Cao Cao suddenly disappeared in a pillar of light and white, angelic feathers. In an almost comical fashion, the dark hero reappeared from the void and slammed painfully onto his backside, hurled aside by a geyser of luminosity. He tumbled along the floor and slid for several feet, looking stunned and rubbing his head.

"Mengde, are you unharmed?" cried Galatea.

The dagger clanged to the ground harmlessly as a white-ponytailed, golden-eyed woman lowered her hands. Her halo – her insignia of divinity – shone brightly behind her head as she eased Cao Cao out of her teleportation magic. A moment later, and a five-inch blade would have plunged itself into the Hero of Chaos's eye socket.

Galatea whipped around to look at the newcomer. "Who… is this?"

"A pity," cursed the shining figure casually. "I had never imagined my next revelation to the human world would have ended up like this – saving your sorry behind from a puny kitchen knife. The things I would do for you, little brother."

Zhou Tai moved to stand beside an astonished Cynthia, and Yue Ying lowered her shotgun, the battle completely forgotten.

"The mythic tales are true?" she whispered.

"This is no human being," acknowledged Flora in awe.

Cao Cao's eyes widened. "Damn it, not you again."

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't let you die here," said Nu Wa, smiling.

*

"Who… who is that?" cried Cynthia, clutching Zhou Tai's arm as he stared at the celestial vision before them. The divinity casually walked towards the warriors, her golden eyes scrutinizing them as she examined their thoughts, their emotions and their motivations. The complexity of their reasons for fighting was daunting to say the least. But that was the meaning of mortality, after all. "Tai? Have you met her before?"

"Radiant. Beautiful," was all that Zhou Tai mumbled, his usually narrow eyes wide in veneration. Her face quickly souring, Cynthia shot him an upset look, and he quickly fell silent whilst Flora stepped forward, her hand slightly outstretched.

"It is… a revelation," she breathed. "I've never witnessed… a divine being as it is in my entire life."

_Might this be the goddess Clare herself? Or perhaps Teresa_?

"Nu Wa," murmured Yue Ying in awe. "This… this is Nu Wa. Her _I Ching_ attire… her aura. It is beyond anything contingent beings are capable of. If we are speaking of feminine divinities, there can be none other. But why is she here? Surely something momentous in history must be occurring for her to reveal herself like this."

"Did I not say that your intervention was unneeded, unwelcome and unwanted, Elder Sister?" snapped Cao Cao suddenly, much to the others' surprise. He glanced at the dirk on the ground. "I thought you and I would have no regrets… no matter what happened to me."

"You're welcome, kid," snapped Nu Wa, brushing off her slender hands. "You've united the most powerful warriors in the world, destroyed all opposition in the imperial court, earned the Emperor's trust once again, yet possess the gall to have 'no regrets' about dying here?" She glared at him. "I think you're merely embarrassed that I had to show you up in front of everyone. Things are getting interesting. I just had to see for myself."

Flora stared at them. _Elder Sister? Little brother? What in the nine hells are they talking about_?

Cao Cao hadn't finished. "I will not permit another escapade like this again. I will kill myself before you save me again."

Nu Wa smiled smugly. "I'd like to see you try and stop me. But for now, don't you have more important matters to attend to instead of whining about me?"

"Damn you, Nu Wa," snapped Cao Cao.

Galatea could hardly believe her eyes. "She's the advocate you've been talking about?" she asked, inquisitively and irately.

"Yes," he muttered, glaring up at the newcomer. "She is goddess of humanity and…" He grimaced, as if reluctant to admit an embarrassing fact about his past. "My close associate since childhood."

"The goddess… of creation?" whispered Xian. "Heaven herself… descended upon your body?"

"Your Majesty," muttered Cao Cao, his voice growing quieter by the moment.

"My, I like your choice of words," tittered Nu Wa. "Either way, this boy enjoys my support. I have thrown humanity's lot in with him and his ambition. Don't tell me I've gone mad to trust a man like him – I already know." She looked at Cao Cao more proudly than she would have liked. "I'm sorry, young Xian. But you never possessed the Mandate of Heaven, and I have hesitated for many decades in deciding whom to confer it upon. But ever since this little brother of mine won my trust…" she smiled, and Cao Cao returned with a reluctant smirk, "I believe in his ability to bring an end to the chaos that plagues this world."

Galatea stepped forward, sheathing Euangelion. "You may be the Empress of Heaven, but… I'm his favourite now," she said haughtily.

Nu Wa's golden eyes twinkled. "I know."

Galatea stared at an uncomfortable Cao Cao with a mixture of disbelief, pleasure and outrage. "You told her about me – and did not tell _me_ about _her_?"

Flora and Cynthia blinked, and Yue Ying gave a triumphant, savage sneer. Surrounded by five curious and prying women, and suddenly wary of his precarious situation, the Imperial Chancellor rose to his feet and dusted angel feathers off himself. "We have more important things to worry about now. For example…" He glanced at Xian, who had reverently fallen on his knees. Xian did not seem perturbed by this astonishing revelation at all – perhaps it was because he knew that he was not of true royal blood. "Your Imperial Majesty. I need your seal of approval for this alliance to be forged."

"If the Prime Minister possesses your Mandate of Heaven… then I can truly rest at ease! Cao Cao." The Emperor looked at him admiringly, but also with great fear. "Why do you still adhere to your personal rule of not usurping me? Even Nu Wa wishes for you to sit upon the Dragon Throne."

"I may be carrying out her will, but I am also carrying out my own. And I have no intentions of becoming Emperor. You may remain as the Son of Heaven, Your Imperial Majesty. I only require your… cooperation in affairs of the state and our military. So, before anything else…" he smirked. "Bless this Jin Alliance that I wish to instate."

Nu Wa smiled at Galatea. "He is a sneaky one, isn't he, my child?"

Despite herself, the veteran Claymore nodded fervently. "I couldn't agree more."

Cao Cao grimaced. "You two are quite the tease. Make yourselves inconspicuous while I finish up this business."

"Yes, Your Excellency," mocked Galatea in a singsong voice.

Nu Wa's smile broadened. "You impress me already, Continental woman."

"Now," he snapped.

They sniffed and shifted to stand behind the Hero of Chaos. Galatea took Cao Cao by one arm, and Nu Wa teasingly did the same with the other. Flanked by two immortal women, Cao Cao smirked as Flora slowly kneeled, followed by a wide-eyed Cynthia, an uneasy Yue Ying, and a hesitant Zhou Tai. Xian meekly stood to one side as the entire chamber was saturated with Cao Cao's aura. A tense silence filled the air, before being replaced by Nu Wa's voice.

"You all know of the danger this world faces. Our hearths are in danger from an ancient foe that will stop at nothing to destroy All Under Heaven. But the old ways are no longer capable of protecting what mortals hold most precious to them. For that reason, they must be abandoned. All things will pass to dust, and the Han Dynasty has now joined the musky pages of history. It has reached its twilight. The evening star of revolution has descended. Therefore, I speak to you of a new Mandate which sets the destiny for all."

The cosmic Empress raised her free hand as Cao Cao closed his eyes. A shining orb of pure light, surrounded by several angelic feathers, materialized above her palm and slowly travelled towards his head, swirling daintily and spinning in several revolutions around his torso, before shooting into his bosom with a heavy but harmless _thud_. He did not flinch. "I, the Presence, hereby grant this child, Cao Cao Mengde, the Mandate of Heaven."

Xian breathed in helpless dread. Even Flora could not tear her eyes away as her former archenemy received the blessing and explicit consent of Nu Wa. Cao Cao opened his eyes and smirked at her, before doing the same to Galatea. His voice was simmering with triumph. "Thank you, my Elder Sister. All of you. There is nothing more important to me now. _You_ are this world's future. The defeat of these fiends from the Continent has been made possible because of your allegiance, no matter how temporary. With your support, the Mandate that I possess will crush Isley under its sheer weight." His voice gathered in volume and emotion. "From this day onwards, he shall know the meaning of fear. He shall know the meaning of defeat. But most importantly, he shall know the meaning of death. We will bring death to him and his hordes. Through our united strength, we will topple every threat he and his followers throw against the invincible nation of China. This day onwards, the land shall fight as an alliance, as a united front against the Awakened army. As such… I hereby declare the Jin Alliance inaugurated and extant!"

The room rung with silence after his thunderous declaration. In under an hour, the empire had changed forever, and only the battles in the months to come would indicate whether it was for the better. Nu Wa and Galatea smiled down at the warriors that kneeled before the Throne, and Xian himself looked mesmerized. But in the end, it was Zhou Tai that had the last word.

"Get on with it then, Prime Minister. Your orders?"

*

_Midnight. Royal Bedchamber_

"I am stunned that this is the first time you have met face-to-face. I suppose you think it conveniently slipped my mind, hm? But I assure you, Elder Sister decided to act out of her own impulse, breaking the promise we had struck."

"Don't play dumb, Mengde. You told me about her, didn't you? I shouldn't have expected anything more from you… duplicitous, manipulative sneak that you are."

"And_ I_ was forced to reveal myself because of _your_ incompetence, little brother. Imagine the greatest man in this nation, stabbed to death with some nameless eunuch's dagger. Wouldn't that be rich? Be grateful I saved your life."

Cao Cao's voice was weary as he glared at Nu Wa, who was smirking playfully at Galatea, who was in turn glowering at her husband. The tripartite tension was palpable as he gestured outwards, turning away. "As the general consensus is that I am a good-for-nothing villain, I will leave it to the two of you to enjoy one another's pleasantries," he said in mild exasperation. "The day has been long, and I am weary. Do not expect me to entertain the two of you for long." He slipped off his black gloves and proceeded to the inner hall to change into his nightclothes, yawning quietly. "Feel free to join me. If not, then at least leave me in peace."

Galatea's eyes shifted to his childhood companion, who also happened to be the ancestral deity of the world. Silver met gold. She wasn't sure what she could say to change the slightly toxic atmosphere in the room. "He's always been a handful," she muttered, shrugging rather helplessly. "I do not like the fact that he didn't trust me with his most intimate secret."

"You don't need to tell me that," replied Nu Wa, who was a foot shorter than the other except for her halo. "He's been a troublemaker since childhood. And I may have been a close secret of his, but that was only out of necessity." She smiled. "It seems that has changed today, what with his grand plan to bring the entire world under his rule."

"I see. But he hasn't ceased to fascinate me," murmured Galatea, as Cao Cao emerged in nightclothes of venerable white silk. "This man's arrogance is outrageous. I'm surprised he's still alive. Surely he has made as many enemies as he has allies."

"You are undeniably correct. But you forget one important thing: it is we who counsel him. And surely there are none under Heaven that can hold a candle to our grace and power?" Nu Wa smiled. "Fear not. You made the right choice when you acted to support him, as much as I hate to admit that. He is a true lord and steward to those he loves. And I can guarantee he has not deceived you with falsehood… for he has not deceived me. He changed the world today. I don't think he has time for playing a game of deceit with you."

She paused, closing her eyes as she remembered the many crimes he had committed and the people he had killed to fulfil his dream. "I only hope that he won't go… where we can't follow," she noted wisely, smiling sadly. "I fear for the child sometimes. His sins are innumerable. He will never be able to escape them. I have warned him on so many occasions. But he rarely listens to me, if at all.

"Are you retiring to bed, little brother?" she called suddenly, not bothering to look behind her. Cao Cao replied with a curt groan. He lifted his silk bedsheets from his massive bed and flopped down, his demonic eyes closing in exhaustion. Galatea sniffed as he grunted a brusque parting. He did not even invite her to join him, as he usually did. But suddenly, Nu Wa shot her a sly expression. Without speaking, she glided over to him and eased herself onto the mattress, her hands finding the pleasantly smooth, velvety covers. She straddled her little brother, rudely shaking him from his momentary doze. Cao Cao grunted in surprise, opening his eyes to glare at the goddess. But his words of annoyance were quickly dismissed by a light kiss on his lips, an act that was done with the sole intention of irking Galatea. After teasing him again and again, Nu Wa raised her face from Cao Cao's and looked back at the Claymore governess. "Well?" she challenged. "Does your pride not match mine?"

Galatea felt her heart pounding in simultaneous irritation and anticipation… not because of her, but because of _him_. "You're loving this, aren't you?" she said indignantly.

"I never asked for this," he protested dryly, only to be silenced by another, more passionate kiss. Nu Wa took his shoulders and pressed herself upon him harder, more aggressively. To Galatea's chagrin, Cao Cao's next words were ones of invitation. "If you think you can stop her – or outmatch her – then do what you must."

Galatea made her way over to them and glared down. Man and goddess smirked up at her as she reluctantly undid a button.

"Both of you are complicit in this, aren't you?" said Galatea sarcastically. "I've never revealed myself to you in front of another woman. God forbid that anyone discovers what is unfolding in this bedroom tonight."

Nu Wa placed a finger on her lips, reading her thoughts. "Silence is the pathway to bliss, sister."

Galatea shot her a dirty, displeased look. "Easy for you to say. He is my husband."

Nu Wa's golden eyes shone with humour and pleasure as she reached out for Galatea's hand. The fabric of her glove caressed the Continental woman's fingers. "He is yours. He told me so himself. So, do not be afraid." Her irises twinkled. "He knows his place, my dear."

"Stop your teasing, Nu Wa. Galatea, I am weary," snickered Cao Cao. "But do not underestimate the affection I nurture for the two of you. When I spoke to Elder Sister of you…" He gazed into Galatea's annoyed eyes. "I made clear what I want you to become."

Galatea eased herself onto his bed, blushing slightly as she and Nu Wa simultaneously slipped off their brassieres. They curled up beside the man between them, their soft, slender perfections pacifying his stern temperament. He closed his eyes, doing his best to look impassive. Galatea felt rather awkward, but for now, her curiosity was renewed once again. There was a certain air of interest, of wonder, about the new dimension of affection that had opened between them. The erotic (or perhaps debauched?) possibilities seemed unlimited.

"How I hate sharing," murmured Galatea, her lips brushing smoothly across her husband's bicep.

Nu Wa laughed as her hand pressed against her chosen champion's chest. "My, my. You and I _do_ think alike."


End file.
